An opening ceremony of the Belarusian-Russian strategic army exercise Zapad 2021 took place in the combined arms training area Obuz-Lesnovsky on 9 September, BelTA has learned.
Military personnel of the participating countries, officers of the defense ministries and the general staffs, representatives of Kazakhstan attended the ceremony.
Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus, First Deputy Defense Minister Viktor Gulevich said: “New sources of threats to military security emerge alongside existing ones. Despite that Belarus together with its strategic ally – Russia – is intent on reducing confrontation in Eastern Europe by pursuing a peace-loving and open policy. We have no territorial claims to neighbors from the West. We want to live peacefully in an independent and sovereign state.” The official pointed out that the joint exercise is purely defensive. “We have an opportunity to share experience, compare notes on the chosen direction of army development, determine the degree of readiness for ensuring the security of our countries,” he added.
