MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/. The Russian Defense Ministry plans to invite troops from partner countries to take part in joint drills in 2023, Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov said at a briefing for foreign military attaches on Thursday.

"The West 2023 maneuvers and the Union Shield 2023 joint Russian-Belarusian drills will be the main training events that the [Russian] Armed Forces will hold next year. There are plans to invite troops from partner countries to take part in the drills as part of a group of coalition forces," he said.

Valery Gerasimov pointed out that the Russian Defense Ministry continued to boost cooperation with foreign partners in order to build confidence.