The Defense Ministry stated its position on Thursday in response to a BNS inquiry about the report issued by the Russian military about a Russian air force base to be launched some 40 kilometers from the Lithuanian border later this year.
The ministry said it was aware of the Russian plans of founding aviation bases in Belarusian bases located in regions close to borders of NATO member-states.
According to the reply, Belarusian Air Force planes have always been deployed in the bases, while Russian aircrafts could arrive and stay there indefinitely at any time.
"In the military sense, it is not an additional threat. Politically, this, of course, does not demonstrate mutual trust and good neighborhood on behalf of Russia or Belarus. Nevertheless, the Defense Ministry thinks that Belarus, as an independent country, has the right of deciding to allow foreign military bases in its territory," reads the reply sent to BNS.
The Russian air base plans in Lida were Wednesday confirmed by Lieutenant General Viktor Bondarev, commander-in-chief of the Russian Air Force.
"The creation of a Russian air base in Belarus is a result of the fulfillment of an intergovernmental agreement on the strengthening of the military component of the Union State, which we have a duty to fulfill. As a member of the Union State, Russia has a duty to form and have its air base there," Russia's Interfax news agency cited him as saying.
Responding to a question as to whether the air base will be purely Russian or will be Russian-Belarusian, Bondarev said: "First it will be Russian and then we'll see."
"The location of the air base has been determined. It will be located in the city of Lida, northwestern Belarus. The base will be equipped by the Belarusian authorities, and we will help them with that. The air base will be an important element of the first strategic defense echelon of the Union State, protecting the Belarusian airspace," he told Interfax.
"The base will begin functioning this year, in several months. Modified destroyers Su-27SMZ will be placed on it," said the air force commander.
Speaking about the possibility of strengthening the air group at the base, Bondarev said: "So far we will place Su-27SMZ destroyers there and then we will see what happens and will make a final decision."
