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Belarus opposes military build-up near its borders: diplomat

Xinhua, June 21, 2016 Adjust font size:

Belarus opposes any increase of military build-up near its borders, senior Belarusian diplomat Alexander Mihnevich said in a recent interview with Belarusian TV channel CTV.

"Military build-up near Belarusian borders brings stabilization to no one," said the Belarusian ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg.

This is why Belarus "does not advocate deploying any foreign military installations nor armed forces on its territory," said Mihnevich, who is also the permanent representative of Belarus to the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

He said Belarus seeks to develop its own armed forces for defense and national security, citing last week's test of the Belarusian new multiple-launch rocket system Polonez, which is due to enter into service later this year.

Since 2014, NATO has been building up its military presence in eastern Europe near Russia, using Moscow's alleged interference in Ukraine as a pretext for the move; Belarus is a close Russian ally.

Earlier this month, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that Belarus and Russia have reacted appropriately to the reinforcement of NATO forces near the two countries' borders.

Lukashenko said that Belarus and Russia have jointly deployed armed forces in the west, which ensure the safety of the Union State, a politico-economic union made up of the two countries. Endi