ZARYA, Moscow Region. Nov 15 (Interfax-AVN) - The agreement on deploying the Unified Regional Air Defense System of Russia and Belarus is going to be signed in Brest on November 23, Army General Vladimir Mikhailov, Russian Air Force commander-in-chief, told a news conference on Wednesday.
"The agreement is expected to be approved by the Russian prime minister tomorrow, while its final signature is slated for November 23, when the Council of CIS Defense Ministers convenes in Brest, " he said.
Taking questions about the response that Russia may give to NATO aircraft basing in Poland, he said that the Russian Air Force is ready to adequately react to such a situation. "Let NATO land its aircraft anywhere in Europe. We will deploy the Joint Regional Air Defense System of Russia and Belarus to deal with this," Mikhailov said.
The Belarussian Air Force and Air Defense commander, Lieutenant General Oleg Paferov, told a news conference in Minsk earlier that all the documents relevant to the deployment of the Unified Air Defense System are almost ready on both sides.
He emphasized that as soon as the aforementioned agreement is signed many of the concerns over weapon maintenance and renewal will be no longer important.
"Now this requires lengthy negotiations, but when the agreement is signed, weapons will be acquired not for Belarus, but for the Unified Air Defense System," he explained.