MINSK, November 2 (RIA Novosti, Irina Chumakova) - Belarus is interested in closer cooperation with NATO, but does not seek to join the organization, Defense Minister Leonid Maltsev said at a press conference Wednesday.
Maltsev said Belarus was participating in NATO's Partnership for Peace program, but unlike other nations, it did not view the program as a stepping-stone toward membership.
Joining NATO has never been on the Belarusian agenda, Maltsev said.
"We have never intended to join the North Atlantic alliance and never will."
The minister said Belarus aimed to develop a normal relationship with NATO as they had a common border. This border "should be a border of peace," he said.
"We are often accused of opposing NATO. This is not the case. We merely believe that all disputable issues should be resolved politically, economically, and through other non-military means. This is why we will always be against any military blocs, and against the expansion of NATO," Maltsev said.
The minister said, however, that Belarus did not see Ukraine's prospective accession to the organization as a cause for concern.
"Each nation decides for itself how to ensure its own security. If Ukraine has chosen to ensure its security by entering NATO, we have a relaxed attitude to this," he said, adding that Belarus would not try to undermine Ukraine's bid.
Maltsev also said that the defense ministries of Belarus and Russia had agreed to hold a joint large-scale military exercise next summer. Ground, air force, and air defense units are to take part in the exercise.
