MINSK, June 8. /TASS/. Belarus faces the pressing issue of outfitting its Armed Forces with advanced weapons in the current circumstances, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said at a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Nazarov and Chairman of the State Military Industry Committee Dmitry Pantus on Tuesday.
The provision of the Belarusian Army with "advanced armaments" is "very acute" today "owing to the persisting circumstances," the state-run news agency BelTA quoted Lukashenko as saying.
This relates to the provision "with the armaments that are needed for defense, security, and law-enforcement structures," the Belarusian president said.
Belarus must be provided with domestically-produced small arms in case of an armed conflict, the head of state stressed.
"We are not going to defeat anyone. We must inflict irreparable damage on the enemy and protect ourselves and our families," Lukashenko said.
"Should a conflict or a war break out, each family, territorial authorities must be outfitted with the entire range of small arms. In this case, an enemy will understand that it is better not to confront us," the Belarusian leader emphasized.
"The Belarusians "must at least produce arms domestically," he pointed out. "This is because anything may happen, and there should be no hopes that some overseas sponsor will bring in weapons," Lukashenko said.
Lukashenko also inquired about how work proceeded on developing other advanced armaments, in particular, rockets for the Polonez multiple launch rocket system. Another issue mentioned in the report to the Belarusian president related to the participation of the republic’s defense enterprises in the 10th MILEX-2021 international arms show that will run in Minsk in late June.
Western sanctions not to affect Belarusian military-industrial complex
Lukashenko proceeded, saying that "Western sanctions against Belarus will not influence the republic’s military-industrial complex."
"Our military-industrial complex does not have such diverse ties to those who threaten us with sanctions. We do not have firmly tied and mutually dependent contacts with America, with the EU," the president said.
He underscored that Belarus has "good relations with those, with whom it cooperates on arms production."
He noted that the military-industrial complex contributes significantly to the Belarusian economy, adding that the defense sector involves the most high-tech industries, comparable only to space and atomic technologies.
"It is impossible to produce a modern weapon without advanced technologies," he added.
According to Pantus, the operation of the military-industrial complex and the defense economy sector is undertaken in a special setting.
"The collective West keeps escalating the situation around Belarus. But it must be noted that, despite four SAMI companies covered by the sanctions package, all defense sector enterprises have always been under pressure historically," he said.
In response, Lukashenko noted that "this is only natural because no-one would agree that somewhere, some Belarus will arm herself, let alone make weapons on her own."
"Oftentimes, this is open envy of the achievements of the military-industrial complex of the Republic of Belarus," the SAMI head claimed.