MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th September, 2021) Representatives from Lithuania and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) are participating in monitoring of the joint Russian-Belarusian strategic military exercise Zapad-2021 in Belarus, the Belarusian defense ministry said on Wednesday.
"From September 15-17, foreign military observers from the Republic of Lithuania and the OSCE Conflict Prevention Center are taking part in the monitoring of the joint strategic exercise Zapad-2021. The event is held in line with the provisions of the Vienna Document 2011 on Confidence and Security-Building Measures, and organized by the Republic of Belarus voluntarily," the ministry wrote on its Telegram channel.
The military observers will be provided with information about the concept, tasks, and various stages of the drills. They will also be invited to visit the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus' Brest region and watch the practical activities of the troops, the ministry added.
The overall purpose of the drills is to test the readiness and capability of the military command bodies of both states to jointly react to hostilities, and ensure the security and territorial integrity of the Union State of Russia and Belarus. They are being carried out from September 10-16 on nine Russian ranges and five ranges in Belarus.
