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Lukashenko says Russia will provide assistance in ensuring Belarus’ security

According to President of Belarus, the agreement was reached during a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Saturday

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko Mikhail Metzel/TASS

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

MINSK, August 15. /TASS/. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said that Russia, at the first request, will help in ensuring the security of the country, BelTA agency reported.

According to Lukashenko, the agreement was reached during a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Saturday. "We have agreed - at our first request, comprehensive assistance will be provided to ensure the security of the Republic of Belarus,"he said.

"When it comes to the military component, we have an agreement with the Russian Federation within the framework of the Union State and the Collective Security Treaty Organization,"Lukashenko explained. "These moments fit this agreement. Therefore, today I had a long, detailed conversation with the Russian president about the situation. I must say, I was even somewhat surprised - [Putin] is absolutely aware of what is happening,"he added.

The President of Belarus also noted the buildup of the military component in neighboring Poland and Lithuania, where NATO military exercises are held. "I am more worried about the situation that is unfolding on the territory of our neighboring states - Poland and Lithuania. As you know, military exercises of NATO troops are taking place there. That would have been fine, but there is an escalation and a build-up of the armed component in these territories. Naturally we cannot turn a blind eye to it, we cannot observe this calmly. And when early in the morning I was listening to the report of the Chief of the General Staff, I noticed: our military is also worried about this problem," Lukashenko said.

At the same time, he noted that the topic was discussed last year, and at the time a certain algorithm for responding to such events was developed.

It was reported earlier that Russian and Belarusian Presidents Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko have discussed the situation in and around Belarus during a phone call on Saturday.

Belarusian presidential elections were held on August 9. According to the final results provided by the Belarusian Central Election Commission on August 14, incumbent President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko received 80.1% of the vote. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who was considered his main opponent, came in second with 10.12%.

After exit poll results were announced on the evening of August 9, protests erupted in downtown Minsk and other regions of the country, leading to clashes between protesters and law enforcement. The protests continued over the following days. As a result, several thousand people were detained, dozens of police officers and protesters were injured.

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