Baltic States – CIS, Belarus, Cooperation, Latvia, Security

Asked to explain the need for defense cooperation with Belarus, a close military ally of Russia, the ministry's representatives specified that Latvia is focusing on dialogue, not cooperation. Latvia is aware of Belarus' military and political orientation, but dialogue with this neighbor country is necessary to prevent miscommunication and achieve greater transparency and predictability on the part of Belarus.

The Belarusian defense minister's promise to invited Latvian observers to the upcoming military exercise Zapad 2017 can be considered one of the benefits from this dialogue, the ministry's representatives said.

Citing information from the Russian Defense Ministry, Polish online publication Defence24.pl reported that Russia is planning to deploy 80 times more troops and military equipment to Belarus next year for the Zapad 2017 exercise. Belarus' political opposition worries that the large maneuvers may suggest of preparations for taking Balarus under military control or an invasion into Ukraine, Baltics or Poland.

On Tuesday, Latvian Defense Minister Raimonds Bergmanis (Greens/Farmers) and Belarus' Defense Minister Andrei Ravkov signed an agreement on defense cooperation between the two countries.

The defense cooperation agreement, which was signed during Ravkov's visit to Riga, provides for cooperation between Latvia and Belarus in areas like international security and defense policies, airspace surveillance, arms control, activities planned in the framework of NATO's Partnership for Peace program, military medicine, as well as environmental protection, cultural and sports activities in the armed forces.

So far, Latvia and Belarus have had successful cooperation in arms control. In 2004 the two neighbor countries concluded an agreement on additional confidence and security building measures in arms control. Based on this agreement, the two countries organize additional visits of arms inspectors, experts' meetings, exchange of military information and observers visits to military training exercises.