MINSK. Feb 19 (Interfax) - There is nothing extraordinary about the Zapad (West) joint military exercise of Russia and Belarus due to take place in Belarus, and it poses no threat to neighboring countries, Belarusian Security Council Secretary Alexander Volfovich said.
"We are being reproached for holding joint drills with Russia this year. But it concerns only the two countries. It is a scheduled event. We hold such exercises of the Union State's regional group of forces once every two years. Therefore, there is nothing extraordinary about them, and these exercises do not pose any threat to our neighbors," the BelTA state-run news agency quoted Volfovich as saying during a visit to the Borisov Cadet School on Wednesday.
Unlike Western countries, Belarus is ready to invite foreign observers to its joint drills, Volfovich said, adding that a routine combat readiness inspection is underway in the Belarusian Armed Forces and intensive combat training is ongoing.
"This is the system of the Armed Forces' training which is present in our country on a permanent basis. However, we have been reproached for holding drills that threaten someone. This is absolutely not true," he said.
Compared to around 100 exercises Poland and the Baltic countries are expected to host in 2025, the number of exercises due to take place in Belarus this year is very small, Volfovich said.