MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th July, 2023) Belarusian Interior Minister Ivan Kubrakov met with representatives of the Wagner Group private military company (PMC) to discuss the training of Belarusian special forces, the Interior Ministry said on Monday, adding that the parties developed a cooperation plan.
"In the training center of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a meeting was held between Interior Minister Ivan Kubrakov and representatives of the Wagner PMC. The event was also attended by heads and members of the department's special forces," the ministry said on Telegram, adding that "issues of interaction with the PMC and the training of our fighters by its instructors were put on the agenda."
The ministry noted that the parties had developed an action plan and exchanged views on the use of certain types of equipment.
Kubrakov added that in view of the difficult situation near the borders of the country, it is important for Belarus to be prepared to respond to possible challenges and threats.
The Wagner Group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, seized an army headquarters in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don on the night of June 23 and started moving toward Moscow the following day. Prigozhin portrayed his actions as a response to the Russian Defense Ministry's alleged attack on his group's field camps, which the Russian Defense Ministry denied. Prigozhin agreed to end the mutiny after negotiations with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who said he was acting in coordination with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Belarusian Defense Ministry said in early July that the Wagner Group would be involved in the training of the country's armed forces, while the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said that Minsk and the PMC have developed a roadmap for cooperation on sharing best practices between various military branches.
