MINSK, December 19. /TASS/. There are no plans to expand the regional group of forces of Russia and Belarus, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin told reporters.

"There are no plans to expand the regional group of forces. The current troop strength is sufficient for us," he said, answering a TASS question.

He emphasized that cooperation, particularly with the strategic ally, the Russian Federation, "will only be strengthened and improved." "All plans have been determined, and we have a procedure in place. All that is left to do is to prepare ourselves and understand the need for unity and cooperation in resolving all issues, especially problematic ones," the minister said.

The Belarusian Defense Ministry reported in early January 2023 that measures continued to beef up the regional group of forces and the designated troops were ready to accomplish the objectives of defending the Belarus-Russia Union State.

Last December, Khrenin and Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu signed a protocol in the Belarusian capital on the operation of the regional group of troops. The document aims to improve the regulatory framework for bilateral military cooperation and clarifies the conceptual framework, planning procedures, and funding of activities to ensure the functioning of the regional group. In particular, it specifies the deployment procedures for the Russian part of the regional group of forces and deployment of military infrastructure facilities of the Russian Armed Forces supporting their operation.

On February 18, the State Duma (the lower house of the Russian parliament) ratified the agreement with Belarus on mutual security guarantees within the Union State. The document was signed in Minsk on December 6, 2024. Under the security pact, Russia and Belarus undertake to support each other by all methods and means agreed upon and permitted by international law and take appropriate actions in the political, military and other spheres in cases of threats to the security of either member and the Union State as a whole.