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Moscow to support Minsk in its further steps regarding Treaty on Open Skies — Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister recalled that Russia and Belarus were in the same group in the treaty, and now Minsk is to decide its further steps

MOSCOW, June 18. /TASS/. Russia is prepared to provide firm support for Belarus in it further steps regarding the Treaty on Open Skies (TOS), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a news conference following negotiations with his Belarusian counterpart Vladimir Makei in Moscow on Friday.

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"Belarus was together with us in the same group in the Treaty on Open Skies, and our friends are now to make up their mind regarding further steps. Of course, we will actively support them. In any case, we will go ahead with the tight coordination of efforts along these lines in the interests of strengthening the security of the Union State," Lavrov said.

At the negotiations the two sides paid great attention to strategic stability.

"We briefed our friends on the discussions on the issue at the summit meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden in Geneva. Today we paid special attention to such practical aspects of this issue as the future of intermediate and shorter-range missiles in the light of the US pullout from the treaty that outlawed the deployment of such ground-launched missiles in NATO. We were forced to act accordingly. As for the Treaty on Open Skies, the situation is basically the same after the US decision not to return to the treaty. We have notified the depositories that we are quitting it, too," he added.

Russia's State Duma on May 19 unanimously voted for the denunciation of the Open Skies Treaty. The Federation Council unanimously supported the decision on June 2. President Vladimir Putin signed the bill into law on June 7.

The Russian government issued orders to accept the proposal for the country's pullout from the group of the TOS signatories. The Foreign Ministry was instructed to notify Belarus and other participants of this decision. Also, the agreement on Russia-Belarus cooperation in this group is terminated. The instruction is effective as of the day the law on Russia's denunciation of the TOS comes into force.

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