MINSK. July 3 (Interfax) - Belarus is committed to a peaceful policy but is prepared to repel any aggressor, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said.
"Belarus has established itself as an independent state pursuing a peaceful and multipronged foreign policy. Our invariable principle is equality of all countries and their non-interference in each other's affairs. We are in favor of resolving any international conflicts exclusively at the negotiating table," Lukashenko said at a parade marking Independence Day that Belarus is celebrating on Monday.
He regretted that other countries are not following this way.
"Global instability is growing, international security has been ruined, and European countries have embarked on the path of militarization: they are getting drawn into an armed race and military preparations. The United States is deploying a missile defense system here, near our borders, and is updating its nuclear arsenal," Lukashenko said.
"Our response is a modern Belarusian army. It is being constantly modernized and is mobile, well-trained and armed. The national defense industry makes a great contribution to improving Belarus's combat capability. The country is developing its own rocket industry. It's possible to name more than a hundred types of Belarusian military products that are fundamentally new innovations," he said.
"We have everything necessary to repel any aggressor," Lukashenko said.