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Military drills

All signatories to Vienna Document invited to monitor Zapad-2025 exercise

There are 56 countries that are party to the Vienna Document on security, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said

MINSK, August 13. /TASS/. Belarus has sent invitations to observe the Zapad-2025 military exercise to all nations party to the Vienna Document - a deal on confidence-building measures in Europe, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said after giving a briefing to President Alexander Lukashenko.

"There are 56 countries that are party to the Vienna Document on security. Invitations were sent to all of them. We won’t hold our breath for a response. I think that come August 20, we will get word from those who want to come and observe our exercises," he said.

Besides, similar invitations were sent to 25 more countries under bilateral cooperation arrangements - "mostly to participants of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and, of course, to friendly nations."

"But that’s not all. Over 30 military attaches are accredited in our country, including nine from NATO member countries. They will also have an opportunity to monitor our drills. This gesture is intended to underscore our peaceful nature, transparency and the desire to reduce military tensions that we are witnessing now. We are taking this step forward and hope for reciprocity from our neighbors," the defense minister added.

The Zapand-2025 exercise will be held on September 12-16 on the territory of Belarus. The drills will be centered around the use of military force for ensuring security of the Union State of Russia and Belarus. Russian and Belarusian servicemen plan to practice various scenarios, including repelling air strikes and anti-sabotage warfare.

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