MINSK. Nov 16 (Interfax) - Russia has not proposed deploying a military base in Belarus since 2015, Russian Ambassador in Minsk Mikhail Babich said.
"I can say the following: no one has made any offers to deploy a Russian military base in the Republic of Belarus since 2015, either in public or behind closed doors," Babich told reporters in Minsk on Friday.
"Why do I say since 2015? Because NATO pursued active policies in 2012-2015, from eastward expansion to the placement of various military facilities near the borders of the Union State. And indeed, at that time various decisions were worked out on a symmetrical response to those actions," he said.
"But they were made in a different configuration, taking into account the location of the existing Russian groups, which today are quite enough not just to neutralize the threat, but to inflict, jointly with the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, irreparable damage on any enemy in any situation," Babich said.
"I will not go into military details, but what's important is that our so-called partners in NATO know very well about them [the measures taken]. And that's why they stopped in 2015," he said.
"We cannot open a military base every time something happens," Babich said. However, he said the parties are closely studying the situation and forecasting developments.
"I assure you that all plans on a reciprocal strike, reciprocal actions in the event of any aggression or threat of the use of armed forces against the Union State have been approved and verified by the supreme commanders. The potential enemy knows about that as well," he said.
The issue of the deployment of a Russian military base therefore needs to be removed from the political agenda, and one must proceed from the current military situation, Babich said.