MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th August, 2020) Belarusian presidential candidate Andrey Dmitriev said in an interview with Sputnik that he opposed the deployment of new Russian military bases in the country, adding that the existing Russian military facilities should be gradually removed, as he sees Belarus as a neutral country in the future.
Under the 1995 bilateral agreement signed for a 25-year term, Russia leases two facilities � the Hantsavichy Radar Station and the Vileyka transmitter � in Belarus. The first, aimed at tracking missile launches and space objects, is a part of the missile attack warning system. The other is used by the Russian navy to ensure communication with strategic submarines. The agreement is set to expire on June 7, 2021.
"No new military bases. As for these two [existing] facilities, I think that Russia might decide [on their removal] itself because the Russians have created a backup system for the Hantsavichy and Vileyka objects in recent years. Perhaps, in fact, Russia does not really need them here," Dmitriev said.
The politician considers it important to implement the existing provision of the country's constitution that Belarus is a neutral state. Therefore, he believes that during the final phase of Belarus' transition to a neutral country, these military facilities should be removed. At the same time, their removal should be carried out gradually so that Russia can be ready for it and have other means to track launches and communicate with submarines.
"We will not put Russia's interests at risk, but we will defend our views on how we see Belarus," Dmitriev said.
At the same time, neutrality cannot be reached at once. According to Dmitriev, this should be a program, on which Belarus will agree with Russia so that the latter can understand how and when it will be implemented.
"I would like to implement the provisions of the constitution that Belarus is a neutral state not to the detriment of our Russian partners," the politician added.
Dmitriev is one of the five registered candidates, including the current head of state, Alexander Lukashenko, to run in Belarus' presidential election scheduled for August 9. The campaigning started on July 14. Early voting began in the republic on Tuesday.
