Republic

Russia, Belarus take steps towards joint aerospace defense

Russia and Belarus take steps to ensure joint defense of the Union State aerospace, Boris Gryzlov, the Chairman of the State Duma of Russia, said today at the 5th session of the permanent workshop of the of the Belarus-Russia Union State Parliamentary Assembly in Pskov. This is a promising avenue of the Russian-Belarusian military-technical cooperation, he said. Belarus and Russia should strengthen their regional anti-aircraft defense system and pursue a single border policy, he said when highlighting other crucial interaction areas. Late in 2006 the two countries completed a joint program which cost RUR 3 billion and which saw the sides send into service 20 new border installations equipped with a digital communication network, Boris Gryzlov added. “Belarus and Russia are developing a new joint program on equipping the Union State border with the necessary installations, which is designed to run through 2011,” Boris Gryzlov said. The facilities stationed in Belarus, he said, “contribute to ensuring strategic security in the region”. This includes a rocket warning radar located near Baranovichi and the submarine command post of the Russian Navy in Vileika. Russian-Belarusian military and military-technical cooperation is a key avenue of integration of the two states, Boris Gryzlov said. It is not only for Belarus and Russia that this cooperation is significant, but it is also important for other members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. “The experience gained by Russia and Belarus is essential for the CSTO states,” Boris Gryzlov said.