Military Cooperation: To Whom Does Belarus Extend a Hand of Peace, and Who Reciprocates?

We continue to build a trusting dialogue with various countries in the areas of defense and national security. Peace is being discussed on all fronts. A case in point is the recent International Conference on Eurasian Security, attended by delegations from over 30 countries. At the forum, President Alexander Lukashenko once again emphasized the key points and sent a message to Western countries: "Let's live in peace." While Europe has once again ignored our words, the other half of the planet is listening to Belarus with interest and respect.

Today, cooperation with Western countries in the areas of security, defense, and technological development is on hold. This initiative is not ours, but that of European countries. The security architecture at the intersection of West and East is now more fragile than ever. But the world has not converged on Europe. With healthy curiosity and concrete intentions, Belarus is building trusting partnerships with the Eastern region. These include CSTO partners, CIS countries, China, Iran, Vietnam, and Egypt. Belarus has also identified new horizons for military cooperation on the African continent.

Meeting after meeting, negotiation after negotiation, visit after visit. Autumn is replete not only with vibrant foliage but also with events! The military department's work agenda is packed. The Ministry of Defense leadership barely has time to welcome foreign guests and perform "alaverdi" (community greetings). Since the beginning of autumn alone, there have been more than ten visits by officers from various continents to Belarus.

For example, in September, a military delegation from Indonesia visited Belarus. The foreign colleagues visited the Losvido training ground in Vitebsk, where they observed the combat training of a peacekeeping company of the airborne brigade. Indonesia is of interest to Belarus in terms of military cooperation. It is a highly experienced country in the development of peacekeeping and the training of forces and assets in this area. Incidentally, they rated our "blue helmets" very highly.

Good contacts have also been established with a number of African countries, including Ethiopia. Its armed forces number approximately 140,000 personnel. Today, the country is one of the largest and most effective armies in the region. In October, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin met with the leadership of the Ethiopian Defense Ministry. The dialogue focused on bilateral military cooperation of mutual interest. Ethiopia, like Indonesia, has extensive experience in peacekeeping operations. It is the largest contributor of troops to UN peacekeeping missions.

The United Arab Emirates is a country with which Belarus has recently maintained a constructive dialogue. Talks with the Chief of the General Staff of the UAE Armed Forces were recently held in Minsk. The parties not only discussed current issues of military cooperation but also signed a short-term cooperation plan. Incidentally, the UAE army is similar to the Belarusian one. The force numbers approximately 65,000, military service is mandatory, and the equipment fleet is constantly being updated. In short, there are strong points for further cooperation.

Let's move on. The Republic of the Union of Myanmar. A military delegation from this country has already visited Belarus several times. A Belarusian delegation also made a return visit this year. The scope of the discussions includes cooperation in all areas of defense policy: from combat training to logistics. Our foreign colleagues are also interested in our experience in training our officers; they have visited the Belarusian Military Academy on numerous occasions. The Myanmar Armed Forces rank ninth in the world. The force numbers approximately 400,000, with 25 million in reserves! Maintaining it requires colossal manpower, and not just material costs. Therefore, we are interested in their experience, and the Myanmar people are interested in our achievements.

Another partner of Belarus in the military sphere is Vietnam. Their military delegations are frequent guests in our country, as are we, for that matter. Recently alone, the leadership of the Belarusian military has visited Hanoi twice.

Belarus is not isolated, as the West claims. And while Europeans continue to keep their doors shut, other countries are happily opening theirs to Belarusians. And this is just the beginning.