MINSK, July 1. /TASS/. To understand just how deep trust runs between Minsk and Moscow, one need look no further than Russia deploying its non-strategic nuclear weapons to Belarus, Russian Ambassador to Belarus Boris Gryzlov said.
"The deployment of Russian non-strategic nuclear weapons to Belarus can safely be called the best proof of allied relations and mutual trust in the field of defense and a response to the instigating activities and aggressive rhetoric by NATO and the collective West," the diplomat wrote in an op-ed for the Rossiyskaya Gazeta daily.
According to Gryzlov, today, no major international project can be implemented without paying attention to defense and security issues. He added that "Moscow and Minsk have for years been boosting cooperation in this field." "The Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation have created a regional group of forces and put it into operation, maintaining operational coordination to protect our airspace. We also hold joint military drills on a regular basis," the envoy pointed out.
In addition, the two countries "speak with one voice on almost all regional and global issues, working together to promote crucial initiatives on international platforms." "We actively assist each other in expanding multifaceted cooperation with the countries of the global majority and their regional organizations, including BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)," Gryzlov noted.
He emphasized that 2024 marked 80 years since the liberation of Belarus from German Nazi invaders, and today, Russians and Belarusians once again stand together to defend their historical memory, freedom and independence, building a common future within the Union State. "The phenomenon of the Union State deserves special attention. Our countries’ leaders initially conceived the union as a mechanism for transparent, convenient and effective cooperation in all areas. A quarter of a century later, one can say with certainty that this breakthrough project is a model for the most advanced comprehensive integration in the 21st century, which is capable of resolving all of its goals without violating the independence and sovereignty of member states," the Russian ambassador stressed.