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20 Feb, 11:33

Belarus invites Poland to verify no aggressive military buildup along shared border

Belarusian Defense Ministry’s International Military Cooperation Department head Valery Revenko said that Minsk is ready for negotiations, for visits to military units and for mutual inspections

MINSK, February 20. /TASS/. Belarus has proposed to Poland to conduct mutual military inspections up to 80 kilometers into each side of their shared border, a senior defense official told reporters.

"We have informed our neighbors via the OSCE communication network that we are ready to conduct activities within the framework of regional confidence-and security-building measures under the Vienna Document 2011. This means that we are ready for negotiations, for visits to military units <...> and for mutual inspections. Both on the territory of Belarus and Poland within an 80-kilometer zone," the BelTA news agency quoted Belarusian Defense Ministry’s International Military Cooperation Department head Valery Revenko as saying.

According to him, with these inspections, Poland could verify that Belarus is not amassing forces or means for any aggressive actions. "Poland can see for itself that we are oriented towards peace, ready for dialogue and cooperation," the Defense Ministry quoted Revenko as saying. "What can Belarus be convinced of? We know about Operation Safe Podlasie. We know that three divisions are being formed, including at the specified distance of 80 kilometers from the Belarusian border," the defense official said.

According to Revenko, Belarus’ proposal to hold inspections is "a kind of test and an indicator of Poland’s policy." "If our neighbor to the west is ready for these activities, then we will also be able to understand that their policy is one of peace and aimed at finding compromises and establishing good neighborliness, good dialogue," he pointed out. "If Poland refuses or ignores this initiative, we will have a different opinion about its policy. And we will base our policy, including military, on these results," the senior defense official added.