Russia and Belarus to set up common anti-aircraft system

A document setting up a common regional anti-aircraft system is expected to be signed at a meting of the joint Board of the Russian and Belarussian Defence Ministries. The two countries' Defence Ministries have been working out the document since last April, and in August the bulk of the document (manpower, goals, tasks and so on) was agreed upon at a meeting of a bilateral expert group held in Minsk. So, only specific terms and definitions were determined.

The agreement to set up a common regional anti-aircraft system was reached at a meting between Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko in April 2000. The two countries' Defence Ministries were entrusted with preparing and carrying out technical-organizational measures.

According to the sources, if no particular objections arise at today's meeting the work of the Board will be crowned by signing this important document.