Russia, Belarus to set up regional air defense system

Russia, Belarus to set up regional air defense system

(NSI News Source Info)MOSCOW - October 9, 2008: Russia and Belarus will sign an agreement on November 2 to set up a joint regional air defense system, the state secretary of the Union State said on Wednesday.

The countries are developing a joint air defense system in line with Union State plans, which they have been working on since 1997, involving a common economic, customs, and political space. The Supreme State Council of the Russia-Belarus Union State is due to hold a meeting in Moscow on November 2. Asked if an agreement would be signed then on a regional air defense system, Pavel Borodin said: "I have no doubt of that." He added that the treaty was vital in the context of NATO's ongoing eastward expansion. "Military speaking, it is virtually a shield against NATO," Borodin said. Although talks on the Union State stalled recently over a host of issues, including natural gas prices, military cooperation between the countries is gaining momentum, bolstered by recent U.S. steps to deploy missile defense elements in Poland and the Czech Republic. The two countries also plan to hold a number of military drills, including a joint strategic command-and-staff exercise, Zapad-2009, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said. "The drills should become another practical step in training our armed forces and contribute to the creation of an actual security system for the Union state," the minister said. This October, Belarus will also host comprehensive operational exercises, Osen-2008, as part of the joint strategic command-and-staff exercise Stabilnost-2008. The minister added that Russia would meet its obligations in supplies of arms and military equipment on time. Belarus has several Russian-made S-300 air defense divisions on combat duty and is negotiating the purchase of advanced S-400 systems from Russia, which will be made available by 2010. Russia's defense minister said last year his country would continue to supply arms and military hardware to Belarus at subsidized rates and on a priority basis.