MOSCOW, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday that the situation on the Russian-Belarusian border remains tense, as there is evidence that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has significantly increased its military presence in the region.
"The situation on the western borders of the Union State remains uneasy, as NATO continues expanding its forward presence there," news agency Sputnik cited the minister as saying.
"In light of the emerging military and political situation in the region, and new challenges and threats, chiefly related to international terrorism, the Russian Defense Ministry views guaranteeing the military security of the Union State as a priority task," Shoigu said.
According to Sputnik, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin also expressed his concern, pointing to the intensification of NATO drills and the increased participation of bordering countries in military exercises.
Khrenin emphasized that NATO has boosted its troop presence in the countries bordering Belarus by over 17 times, involving 10,000 servicemen. Enditem
