Ukraine sends observers to Zapad 2017 Russian-Belarusian military exercises
Two Ukrainian observers will go, by invitation, to Belarus to monitor the Zapad (West) 2017 military exercise, according to a statement of the Office of Public Relations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The statement was published on Wednesday on the page of the General Staff of the Armed Forces on Facebook.
"The Ukrainian side confirms the fact that Ukrainian representatives were invited to monitor the West 2017 military exercises, which are to be held on the territory of the Republic of Belarus with the participation of the troops from the Russian Federation. As reported by the verification department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, two Ukrainian monitors will observe the exercise on the invitation of the Belarusian side from September 16 to September 20," the report says.
"In accordance with the provisions of the Vienna Document of 2011 on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures, Ukraine received an official invitation from the Republic of Belarus for the participation of two representatives of the Armed Forces in monitoring military activities during the practical operations of troops (forces) within the framework of the joint Zapad-2017 strategic exercise on the territory of the Republic of Belarus during the 16-20 September 2017 period", the Ukrainian monitors report.
In addition to Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Estonia were invited to observe the West 2017 exercises.