Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

Russia intends to strengthen its unified air defense systems with Belarus, RIA Novosti reported on November 19, citing Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russia also intends to establish similar systems with Armenia and Kazakhstan.

"We also plan to strengthen the unified air defense system with Belarus and to start to form similar regional systems with Armenia and Kazakhstan," Putin said.

According to Putin, such cooperation noticeably increases the defense potential of Russia and its partners, and serves to strengthen peace and stability in Eurasia.

He went on to say that the Russian-Belarus international strategic exercises "West-2013" were held successfully this year, and the creation of regional army groupings with the participation of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan is next.

"We will expand interaction with our traditional partners and allies, firstly with the member countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Commonwealth of Independent States," he said.

Russia and Belarus signed an agreement on the joint protection of common airspace and the creation of a joint regional air defense network in 2009.

Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on the creation of a joint regional air defense system in January 2013, and the agreement has already been submitted to the State Duma for ratification.

Once approved, the agreement will create a basis for ensuring the airspace security of the two countries' border. Once the agreement is implemented, the two sides will also exchange secret information on air defense issues.

The agreement includes the supply of ten S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems from Russia pro bono to Kazakhstan in a move that strengthens common air defense between the two countries.

Signing a similar agreement with Armenia was also planned, but, the system can only have the status of a unified system due to the lack of a common border between Armenia and Russia.