MINSK. Sept 1 (Interfax) - The Zapad (West) 2021 strategic exercise aims to train and coordinate Belarusian and Russian forces, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Wednesday.
"The president said that the sole purpose of the Zapad 2021 Belarusian-Russian exercise is the training and cohesion of their armed forces," the Belarusian presidential administration said in a statement.
Belarus and Russia are holding exercises "to teach and train their armed forces so that they act if God forbid something happens," he said.
Many troops will be training in the territories of both countries, between Kaliningrad and Vladivostok, Lukashenko said. "We will see how good the cohesion of Russian and Belarusian forces is," he said.
The Zapad 2021 strategic exercise will be held in the territories of Russia and Belarus on September 10-16 to train military engagement for the sake of military security of the Union State of Russia and Belarus.