/ / News
02.10.2013

Belarus-China agreement on army exercises ratified

MINSK, 2 October (BelTA) - On 2 October the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belaurs ratified a Belarus-China agreement on the status of military units of the People’s Republic of China, which are temporary stationed in Belarus, and on the status of Belarusian military units, which are temporary stationed in China for joint army exercises (training), BelTA has learnt.

The Belarusian-Chinese agreement was inked in Beijing in December 2012. It is aimed at intensifying cooperation between Belarus and China in maintaining high combat readiness of both countries’ armies and securing legal and social guarantees for the military units temporarily stationed in one of the two states for the sake of holding a joint army exercise.

Answering the question of MP Alexander Yaroshevich on 2 October, Belarus’ Defense Minister Yuri Zhadobin told the House of Representatives: “Belarus has similar agreements with the CSTO member states.” The Minister pointed out that the CSTO army exercise Vzaimodeistviye 2013 [Interaction 2013] had recently been held in Belarus.

Yuri Zhadobin also noted that Belarus and China have created quite a good ground for developing military and technical cooperation. “Of course we take considerable interest in the experience of Chinese servicemen in countering terrorism and in peacekeeping activities under the UN auspices,” Yuri Zhadobin underlined.

BelTA reported earlier that in 2012-2013 China donated over 20 light armored vehicles Dongfeng Mengshi to special operations units of the Belarusian army. Over $16.5 million worth of equipment has been supplied by the Chinese Defense Ministry for the sake of fitting out healthcare institutions. Ten military delegations at the top level have exchanged visits in the last three years. Training sessions for representatives of the Belarusian and Chinese armies are regularly arranged in military education institutions of both countries. Apart from that, joint antiterrorism exercises for Belarusian special operations units and airborne units of the Chinese army were held in Belarus in July 2011 and in China in November-December 2012.