Military and technical-military cooperation is a very delicate and highly sensitive theme. I would like to avoid discussing of some conceptual issues or political aspects. I want to present actual state of things and legitimate basis for such an activity.

Belarusian-Russian Military Cooperation

Belarusian-Russian military cooperation is built on the base of the Agreement on Goodneighbourly Relations and Cooperation signed on 21 April 1995; Agreement About Foundation of Belarusian-Russian Commonwealth, signed in 1996 and Agreement On the Creation of Belarusian-Russian Union, signed on 2 April 1997. This cooperation is directed for the formation of regional system of security for Belarusian-Russian Union in military sphere, expansion of cooperation in provision of armed forces with new types of armaments, brining into compliance military production, standardization of weapons and common use of the defense installations.

Common principles of military construction and use of military infrastructure of both countries have been confirmed and approved by the Supreme Council of Belarusian-Russian Union on 2 April 1997. Within the frames of these principles realization, an Agreement about common use of military infrastructure objects for the purposes of security interests provision of both countries have been developed and approved, as well as signed on 16 February 1998 Agreement about information share between Ministries of Defense.

In the process of Belarusian-Russian cooperation 35 international legal documents have been signed: on the State level - 8; on the governmental level - 15; on the ministries and other bodies - 15. Among them are the Agreement about military cooperation, Concept about common Belarusian-Russian defense policy, Concept of common technical provision of regional groups of armed forces of the Republic of Belarus and Russian Federation, Agreement about common provision of regional security in military sphere and, finally, Belarusian-Russian Union security concept.

An opinion exists, that military aspect of Belarusian-Russian cooperation has hypertrophied character. It is not so. We should acknowledge, that bigger part of the above mentioned documents has the character of Intentions Protocols rather than legal basis of current activities. But, nevertheless, these documents are building a base for further closer cooperation between two states in the sphere of defense policy.

As a result of this there became possible to accomplish real steps in the sphere of common protection of air space. There have been created and continue to work unified air defense systems. Common duty of air defense systems have been also organized.

The work of common body of Belarusian and Russian Ministries of Defense have been arranged. In October 1997 Belarusian-Russian "mixed" commission has signed the protocol about withdrawal of military formations of Russian strategic forces from the territory of the Republic of Belarus and settlement of connected with that issues. As far as we know, all the issues have been settled and the problem does not exists any more.

There are two objects on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, which could be considered strategic. These are military locator station "Baranovichi" and military fleet communication center "Vileika". Their status and condition of operation have been determined in the protocol, signed in 1995.

On 19 February 1997 Belarusian and Russian Ministers of Defense have signed in Minsk the on the States and governmental levels the Agreements about military cooperation and about common provision of regional security in military sphere. These Agreements foresee the creation of regional group of forces. On 28 February 1998 the Supreme Soviet has approved the Belarusian-Russian defense policy concept, and on 28 April 1999 - Belarusian-Russian Union Security Concept and Common Defense Order Concept. Annual plans for bilateral cooperation in the military sphere are being adopted and fulfilled. Starting from 1997 common meetings of Belarusian and Russian Ministries of Defense board have been held.

Bilateral military-technical cooperation is based on the Agreement about Military- Technical Cooperation,

стр. 33

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
signed in 1993, and also the Agreement about production and scientific-technical cooperation between two states production branches and the Agreement about manufactured for the armed forces of both states pro-ducts quality control, signed in 1995. One of the actual issues is a problem of signing of the Agreement about regulation and control over transfer of military pro-ducts, services and technologies, draft of which has been developed in 1995.

In accordance with the Agreement about Creation of the Unified State, signed on 8 December 1999 the exclusive prerogative of the new state formation will be organization and control over the activities of the unified regional group of armed forces. To the issues of common conducting of the Union and States-participants activities will be related: common defense policy, coordination of the activities in the sphere of military construction, development of the armed forces of the states- participants, , common use of the military infrastructure and measures development and decisions making for provision of defense abilities of states-participants. Besides it will also be a cooperation in the sphere of other military and frontier issues, including realization of international agreements, related to the issues of armaments reduction and limitation, signed by the states-participants.

In the program for realization of the articles of the Agreement about Unified State Creation, there foreseen and adoption of the common military doctrine of the Unified State and also common program for provision of the armed forces with the standard armaments for 2001-2005. Besides there also foreseen military objects inventory- making within the frames of common defense space and training of Belarusian military men in Russian military high educational bodies.

While talking about common military doctrine of Unified States, we should acknowledge, that such a doctrine does not exist neither in Belarus nor in Russia. The document, which has been published, should not be reviewed even in the form of transfer option, as well as the concept of national security, which has been presented to all foreign countries ambassadors, accredited in Moscow. We should acknowledge, that this concept could also be reviewed as an intermediate document and the final option will appear not sooner than in the next year.

List of directions of Belarusian-Russian cooperation is growing and there appear more practical steps. Representatives of armed forces of Russia and Belarus are recently carrying out military events, directed for training of both armies personnel. There is a tendency for a permanent activation and broadening of such cooperation. Annual plan for bilateral cooperation between MODs of two countries foresees common participation in operational and mobilization events, and also in military exercises. This foresees participation of Russian MOD operational groups representatives in all types of Belarusian exercises, which are taking place on the territory of Belarus, as well as participation of Belarusian side in Russian military tactical exercises with combat shooting, which are taking place on the territory of Russia.

In high educational institutions of Russian MOD Belarusian military men are being trained. On the whole, for the period of time from 1994 through 1999 - 120 men have been prepared. Starting from 1998, military education has reached the qualitatively new level. Currently the education of Belarusian military men is carried out on the base of the common program for Belarusian military men education in the high educational institutions of Russian MOD. Difference of Belarusian military men education, as compared with the representatives of other CIS countries, lies in the fact, that Belarusian officers are being educated in the same groups with Russians and according to the same educational programs. On the date of 1 January 2000 in twenty military high educational institutions of Russia, more than 220 Belarusian officers are being studied.

For 2000-2001 the following steps are foreseen in Russian MOD for fulfillment of the program for realization of conditions of the Agreement about Creation of Belarusian-Russian Unified State: development of the military doctrine of the Unified State (starting from the development of the states-participants separate military doctrines projects final options), development of common program for armaments of the armies of the states-participants for 2001-2005, military objects inventory making within the frames of the common defense space and, finally, development of the automa-ted control system with the formation of common defense order, common armaments programs and also automated information-reference system for operational control over armaments and other military inventory supply of the regional group of forces within the frames of its technical provision.

On the phase of creation of the Unified State an issue of formation of the system for regional security has a prior importance. Basis for this is determined in the concept for common defense policy and security concept of Belarusian-Russian Union. In order to provide the interests for Union's security and military defense, the concept foresees the creation of the regional group of armed forces. Plans and main directions of such a group use are being developed currently and are close to completion.

According to the accepted concept, armed forces, which are allocated to the regional group of forces in peace time, are under national control and command of Belarus and Russia correspondingly. To provide command and control of the regional group of forces in the "period of danger" - aggravation of military-political situation, danger of military conflict appearance

стр. 34

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
and escalation etc. - on the base of Belarusian and Russian MOD will be created a unified group of regional forces command.

By the decision of the Supreme Soviet of Belarusian-Russian Union, dated 28 April 1999 the concept of common defense order of states-participants has been approved and adopted. Its realization allows to form a common defense order, which will help to coordinate the efforts of Union participants and finally will provide the armed forces with the modern types of weaponry with optimization of expenditures for the development and manufacturing.

A project of the decision for the development of the common program for armaments provision of the armies of states-participants for the years of 2001-2005 has been developed together with Belarusian MOD and presented to the Executive Committee of the Union. This program is giving an opportunity of qualitative growth of combat capacity of the armed forces on the base of development and brining into operation of newly developed and manufactured weapons systems. Common efforts in this sphere of the cooperation will allow to reduce financial expenditures of both states for this type of the activities.

On the whole, already fulfilled and planned for the fulfillment events will allow to increase military security of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus within the frames of Eastern European region of collective security.

Russian-Polish Military-Technical Cooperation

Military-technical cooperation between Russia and Poland is carried out on the base of signed in 1993 correspondent Agreement between MODs of Poland and Russia and on the base of the Agreement between the governments of Poland and Russia about reciprocal deliveries of armaments and services of the military origin, signed on the 4 April 1996. Though the last Agreement has not been ratified by the Polish side, both participants of it are fulfilling its regulations. Reciprocal contacts and connections between Polish and Russian armies are carried out on the base of annual plans. These connections and contacts could be characterized as restrained.

In December 1998, for the first time in recent years the 1-st Minister of Defense Deputy N.Mikhailov has visited Poland. In September 1997 in Warsaw the5re have been signed a protocol about reciprocal delive-ries of weapons and other military production and services of military origin. Deliveries of military supplies from Russia to Poland in 1997 amounted to about 15 mln. US dollars. This volume has declined a little bit in 1998 (down to 8 mln. USD), but in the next year - 1999 - it increased up to 33 mln. USD.

In Poland the products of machinery, medicine and food are bought in the same volume. Analogous protocol about supplies in 1999 and in the next years has been developed for the Russian side signature, but because of some cooling of the relations between these two countries, to some well known reasons, this document has not been signed. Starting from 1993, purchase by Russia of the inventory of the military origin in Poland has not been made.

Leadership of Polish MOD is very interested in development of contacts with Russia in the sphere of military and military-technical cooperation. First of all this is related to receipt on the regular base in the nearest 10-15 years the spare parts for the military materiel, manufactured in Russia. In December 1998, Polish side has expressed a proposal to create Polish-Russian Committee of permanently working commission for the issues of military-technical cooperation. This issue is currently under the process of review. Besides, Poland has expressed its interest in organizing Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief V.Kuroedov visit to the country in the nearest future. Along with that, Poland expresses its interest in permanent contacts on the experts level in the issues related to frontier and other military cooperation, in development of contacts on the level of Army commands in Kaliningrad region, establishment and strengthening of relation with Baltic Fleet and in reciprocal consultations on the issues of security in Euroatlantic region.

The contract for delivery of 13 air engines for the fighters MiG-29 has been signed in 1998 as liquidation of Russian debt of 20 mln. USD. The contract has been fulfilled in 1999. Russian side has decided to provide Poland with the service of additional supply of Polish aircrafts SU-22, M-4 (60 pieces) and MiG-29 (20 pieces) with the systems of satellite and tactical navigation. Repairs of Russian navy crafts in the docks of Poland in the form of payment for military inventory delivery from Russia to Poland, which did not have place from 1996, could have become on of the prior directions of the future relations development.

At the same time, Polish government insists, that they do not have any necessity in buying new Russian weapons and materiel, because they are not compatible with analogous NATO weapons and besides they could have asked for creation of a special base for Russian weaponry and materiel technical maintenance and supply. Joining of Poland into NATO negatively influenced Russian-Polish relations in the sphere of military-technical cooperation. According to Polish initiative contacts with Russia related to participation in tender for the development of air defense rocket-gun system within the frames of Polish state program have been stopped. Russian side has not been invited for participation in tender for supply of Polish Air Force with multipurpose fighter. There are also other examples. Unfortunately, this is an evidence of Polish side unwillingness

стр. 35

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
to develop the dialog with Russia on the important directions of further military and military-technical cooperation.

At the same time the necessity to keep manufactured in Russia armaments and materiel in good working condition forces Polish side to invite Russian companies for participation in tenders for Polish Army supply with spare parts and repairs. As for exchange of military academies cadets, in 1999 in Russia there have been only three Polish officers, who graduated from General Staff Military Academy and Frunze Military Academy. Unfortunately there are no Russian cadets, being educated in Polish high military institutions and academies.

Russian-Polish cooperation in the sphere of regional security is carried out only within the common frames of the Council of the States of Baltic Sea Region. Poland treats very suspiciously all the initiatives in the sphere of security provision in the region, which could have been accepted as an alternative to NATO concept. This drastically reduces the sphere of our conceptual cooperation related to security issues. Proposed by Poland in 1995 directions for Baltic Sea region trust measures creation have not received further development because of some partners reserved attitude to them. Currently Poland considers it reasonable to discuss military aspects of above mentioned problem under OSCE patronage and in the format of the so called "regional tables".

In the Council of the States of the Baltic Sea Region, Poland is in favor for the development of connections in non-military spheres of regional security. This is, mainly, struggle with organized crime and illegal immigration; development of cooperation in the sphere of frontier troops and customs regulations, saving on sea etc. This direction of Russian-Polish cooperation is one of the most perspective, though it has rather limited sphere.

* Valery Ignatiev , State Duma of Russian Federation. Defense Committee. Moscow.