October 10, 2003 - 20:32 AMT
ARMENIA AND BELARUS ACTIVATE MILITARY COOPERATION
On the invitation of defense minister of Belarus Leonid Maltsev an Armenian delegation headed by Serge Sargsian, head of the defense department, secretary of the Security Council under the president of Armenia, is in Minsk on an official call. In the course of meetings with the Belarus leadership prospects of bilateral military-political cooperation are discussed. As Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko noted, Belarusian party is ready "to enlarge the range of cooperation". "We will do everything to support Armenia as much as it needs within the framework of the Agreement on Collective Security", - he noted. Within the visit framework the Armenian delegation will visit Military Academy, will be present at an exposition of latest military equipment, as well as will sign a Program of Cooperation between the defense ministries of Armenia and Belarus for the year 2004. As "Novosti" Russian agency reported earlier, the parties will also exchange experience in modernizing arms and military equipment, reforming the operative-combat training of the Armed Forces.