MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st September, 2022) Moscow and Minsk have developed the mechanism to meet the challenges and threats posed by the Western countries during consultations, Secretary of State of Belarusian Security Council Alexander Volfovich said on Wednesday after a meeting with Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev.
"Naturally, we discussed the issues related to the special military operation, the challenges and threats that the West is trying to bring to the borders of the Union State via Ukraine and the tense situation on the borders of the Union State (of Russia and Belarus). Our offices have developed a number of mechanisms to counter these challenges and threats, because the security of our countries, our citizens is the main task for the leaders of countries, for the security councils," Volfovich said after the meeting that took place in Minsk, the Belarusian news agency Belta reported.
The Belarusian official also expressed gratitude to his Russian counterpart for the support Moscow shows to Minsk in the international arena.
Volfovich also said that issues related to biological security were also discussed along with the need to conceptualize documents of strategic planning of the Union State created by Belarus and Russia in 1999 to deepen security and economic relations between the two countries.
Minsk and Moscow have been facing waves of Western sanctions since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine on February 24. The Western countries have since been providing Kiev with military and financial assistance.
Relations between Minsk and the Western countries soured after the 2020 presidential election in Belarus, which provoked mass protests in the republic and then were suppressed by law enforcement officers. Lukashenko accused the West of direct interference in the situation in the republic. Western countries began gradually imposing sanctions against Belarusian officials and entities while accusing Minsk of election violations and human rights abuses.
