MINSK, September 22. /TASS/. The military exercise, which began in Belarus on Friday, does not pose a threat to neighboring countries, the Chief of the General Staff of the Belarusian Armed Forces, First Deputy Defense Minister Viktor Gulevich, has said.

"This exercise does not pose a threat to neighboring countries. We are practicing operations to defend our state and improve the level of training of our troops. The number of participants in the exercise does not exceed the caps established by the 2011 Vienna Document," the Belarusian Defense Ministry’s press-service quotes Gulevich as saying.

He noted that the bilateral comprehensive exercise (its active phase will last until September 26) was a logical ending of the training of operational and tactical level control and command bodies.

"Within the framework of the exercise, the system of control of troops and weapons will be improved. A complex dynamic situation and the use of proving grounds and different terrain in three regions will be the main distinguishing features of the current drills. The trainees will have to make non-standard decisions to defeat a hypothetical enemy, as well as to maneuver forces and means and command centers amid a volatile situation," Gulevich said.

The head of the Belarusian Defense Ministry’ department of international military cooperation, Valery Revenko, said in late August that Minsk had notified the OSCE countries about the forthcoming comprehensive exercise in September.

The 2011 Vienna Document on confidence-and security-building measures adopted by the OSCE countries provides for an annual exchange of information on the personnel of the armed forces, the main weapon and equipment systems in the zone of confidence-and security-building measures, defense planning and military budgets.