Russia can’t resist NATO alone and calls Belarus

• 23.10.2007, 11:09

The NATO expansion and the plans on placement American Ballistic Missile Defense elements in Europe stimulate Russia and Belarus for more active cooperation in military and military-political spheres, Anatoli Serdiukov, the minister of defense of Russia declared on Tuesday.

“The process of the NATO expansion, plans of placement BMD and the escalation of the situation on the Middle East confirm the necessity for the close coordination of our actions in military-political and military spheres”, - Serdiukov said, opening the joined collegiums of the military departments of two countries in Moscow.

He noted the active work by the defense departments of Russia and Belarus in this direction.

This work follows the program the Treaty on the “union state” realization by Belarus and Russia, the minister added.

“The course of this work is the consideration of the list of questions in the agenda of the today’s common collegiums session”, - Serdiukov said.

In his opinion, the constructive discussion of these questions will advance the formation of the armed defense of the “union state” in the frames of the common defense area.