Promoting Military Cooperation

Belarusian Defence Minister Maj. Gen. Andrei Ravkov held several bilateral meetings with the Defence Ministers of the CSTO member states during his visit to Moscow.

During the meeting between Andrei Ravkov and Armenian Defence Minister Seyran Ohanyan, the parties discussed bilateral military cooperation and cooperation within CSTO, in particular the participation of a peacekeeping company of the 103rd Guards Independent Mobile Brigade in the Nerushimoye Bratstvo 2015 joint exercise of the CSTO peacekeeping forces, which will be held in Armenia. The defence ministers adopted the action plan for bilateral cooperation between the Belarusian and Armenian defence ministries in 2015.

During the meeting between Andrei Ravkov and Tajikistan’s Defence Minister Lt. Gen. Sherali Mirzo, the parties discussed promotion of bilateral relations and exchanged views on the development of cooperation within CSTO, as well as on rendering military and technical assistance to Tajikistan to strengthen the Tajik-Afghan border.

During the meeting between Andrei Ravkov and Chief of the General Staff of the Kyrgyzstan Armed Forces Maj. Gen. Asanbek Alymkozhoyev, the parties discussed bilateral military cooperation and the results of the Nerushimoye Bratstvo 2014 joint exercise of the CSTO peacekeeping forces held in Kyrgyzstan.

The meeting between Andrei Ravkov and Kazakhstan’s Defence Minister Imangali Tasmagambetov resulted in the approval of the action plan for bilateral cooperation between the defence ministries in 2015. The parties also discussed the participation of Belarusian Armed Forces’ combined artillery battery in the international artillery competition of the CIS armed forces organised by Kazakhstan’s Defence Ministry and the results of the Vzaimodeistviye 2014 joint exercise of the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Force. The defence ministers considered the prospects for cooperation in personnel training.