MOSCOW, February 9. /TASS/. Belarus is ready to discuss Russian proposals on security guarantees with the West, Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Aleinik said in an address to participants of a conference entitled Collective Security in a New Era: Experience and Prospects of the CSTO at the Valdai Discussion Club on Wednesday. The text of his address was read out by Belarus’ Permanent and Plenipotentiary Representative at the CSTO Vyacheslav Remenchik.

"As a country that presented an initiative on the necessity of launching extensive international dialogue, on overcoming transnational contradictions and restoring trust, Belarus welcomes any constructive proposals aimed at decreasing tension, bolstering international and regional security and strategic stability. We are hoping for a detailed discussion of Russian initiatives both in the bilateral and multilateral formats. We are ready to participate in this process," he said.

According to Aleinik, the Russian drafts of agreements with the US and NATO on security guarantees represent a serious proposal to engage in dialogue for building the architecture of common European security that would suit all countries in the region without infringing on anyone’s interests.

"At the end of January, Russia was handed written responses by Washington and Brussels. We think that their content will hardly satisfy the Russian side, however, the very fact of the exchange of opinions is important here and the beginning of a dialogue which should bring closer the approaches of the sides and bring them to a common denominator," the senior diplomat noted.

On December 17, 2021, the Russian Foreign Ministry published the draft agreements between Moscow and Washington on security guarantees and the measures of ensuring the security of Russia and NATO member states. Russia is also looking forward to a prompt response to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's written message on the indivisibility of security, which was submitted to the top diplomats of Canada, the US, and several European countries on January 28.