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Russian minister says that possible establishment of air base in Belarus is not linked to US missile shield plans

 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his German and Polish counterparts in Warsaw on Friday that the possible establishment of a Russian military air base in Belarus was not linked to the United States’ plans to deploy a missile shield in Europe.

He added that Russia had “other means” to “neutralize risks” associated with the missile shield.

Mr. Lavrov described Belarus and Russia as military allies that solved their defense tasks “in a harmonized manner.” “I see no cause for concern on the subject,” the Itar-Tass news agency quoted him as saying.

Asked by a reporter about the possibility of a Russian military air base in Belarus, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said that Russia and the European Union should seek to strengthen their mutual trust.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski acknowledged that Warsaw was concerned about Russia’s plans, saying that “we would like this not to happen.” “Poland does not want to take part in an arms race close to our borders,” he said.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced in April that Russia was planning to deploy a fighter jet regiment in Belarus by 2015, and that the two countries were beginning to consider plans for establishing an air base in Belarus. // BelaPAN