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Minsk has repeatedly called on West for dialogue among border services — Security Council

State Secretary of the Security Council Alexander Volfovich lamented that "unfortunately, there has been no response or desire from our neighbors to re-establish such dialogue"

MINSK, August 7. /TASS/. Belarus has consistently urged its western neighbors to engage in constructive dialogue, including through border services, yet has received no positive response, the State Secretary of the Security Council, Alexander Volfovich, said following a meeting with President Alexander Lukashenko.

According to the BelTA news agency, Volfovich expressed concern over the reactions of Belarus' western neighbors to the Zapad-2025 military exercises. "Despite all efforts to prevent causing alarm among our neighbors - such as locating exercise sites deep within our territory - we are met with entirely different, unfriendly measures," he stated.

Volfovich emphasized that "Belarus has repeatedly called for the restoration of friendly and constructive dialogue, for example, through border cooperation." However, he lamented that "unfortunately, there has been no response or desire from our neighbors to re-establish such dialogue."

Earlier this week, the first train carrying Russian servicemen and equipment arrived in Belarus to prepare for and participate in the joint strategic exercise Zapad-2025, scheduled for September. Pavel Shebeko, deputy commander of the Northwestern Operational Command, explained that the exercises aim to test new operational methods and tactics, drawing from recent modern military conflicts.

On May 28, during a meeting of the CSTO Defense Ministers in Bishkek, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin announced a reduction in the scale of Zapad-2025. The main maneuvers, previously planned to involve 13,000 troops, will now be conducted deeper within Belarusian territory, with the troop numbers nearly halved. The drills are slated for mid-September.

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