Statement by Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov at Joint Board Session of defence ministries of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation
Esteemed Victor Khrenin!
Comrades!
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the next meeting of the Joint Board Session of defence ministries of the two fraternal countries: Russia and Belarus.
Our countries share a heroic past and common moral and cultural values.
One of the important events of this year was the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
The Belarusian people know more than anyone how it was difficult to achieve the Victory.
Our common task is to preserve the historical truth about the events of those years, vigorously denounce and suppress any manifestations of neo-Nazism, fascism, and extremism.
Now, when the collective West has started a hybrid warfare against us, Russia-Belarusian cooperation is an example of good-neighbourly relations based on respect and mutual assistance.
In the context of the special military operation, we attach particular importance to ensuring the military security of the Union State and strengthening its military-technical capabilities.
The defence cooperation between Russia and Belarus is one of the key factors in maintaining regional stability in the face of NATO's blatantly hostile activities.
The Alliance maintains a significant forward military presence on its eastern flank. It has intensified combat training and reconnaissance activities near the borders of our countries.
The Alliance's exercises on the the eastern flank involved approximately 60,000 servicemen.
The global security system continues to deteriorate. As a result of the West's destructive activities, the foundations of constructive dialogue between the nuclear-weapon states are on the downward path.
On 5 February 2026, the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) expires.
In order to prevent an uncontrolled growth of nuclear arsenals, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin announced that Russia is ready to continue to adhere to the central quantitative restrictions of the treaty for one year provided the United States adheres to it.
Together with the Belarusian side, we are strengthening the common defence area, making mutual deliveries of military products, setting up a cooperation of the both defence industries between our countries.
Priority is given to increasing combat capabilities of the regional grouping of troops and the Joint Air Defence System of Russia and Belarus.
More than 150 joint events are held every year, half of which are exercises and trainings.
The culmination of this year was the Zapad 2025 joint strategic exercise. Today, we are going to sum up the results of it.
The Zapad 2025 exercise conducted in Belarus was designed to carry out the CSTO manoeuvres involving the Collective Rapid Reaction Force, reconnaissance forces, and logistic support units.
In order to introduce the experience of the special military operation into the practice of training of Belarusian servicemen, a conference of combat training bodies of Russia and Belarus was held in Minsk on 27 and 28 May.
Two reinforced tank battalions and 49 instructors of the Armed Forces of Belarus have undergone various combat training actions at the joint training centre of motorised rifle and tank units in Nizhny Novgorod region this year.
In order to continue the cooperation in the field of defence, we will now approve the Strategic Partnership Programme between the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation in the military sphere for the period of 2026–2030.
In the future, we are going to develop a plan for its implementation.
I would like to emphasise that the level of military and military-technical cooperation has achieved makes it possible to quickly make joint decisions to neutralise the entire range of modern challenges and threats to the security of our countries.
Today, at the Joint Board Session of defence ministries we will sum up the results of the event.
I wish everybody successful work.