Removal of nuclear weapons from Belarus. Russia is ready to place nuclear weapons in Belarus

Modern Belarus existed in the symbolic club of nuclear powers for almost five years: from the collapse Soviet Union in December 1991 until November 27, 1996, when the last echelon with missiles filled with nuclear charges left the territory of the republic.

Since then, a number of politicians have repeatedly spoken about the supposedly wasted power, because the nuclear club is a convincing argument for countering the machinations of external potential enemies encroaching on the sovereignty of the state. Then suddenly the ambassador Alexander Surikov will speak out about the possible deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus “with a certain level of mutual trust and integration.” That Alexander Lukashenko will call "cruel mistake" withdrawal of nuclear weapons from Belarus, accusing “our nationalists and Shushkevich” for screwing up "the greatest asset and dearest commodity".

Occasionally, some anonymous sources from the Belarusian and Russian military departments declare their readiness to return nuclear missiles to the blue-eyed one, provided that there will be “Management’s decision has been made”. It is noteworthy that Allied military experts note: “Belarusians have everything in perfect condition. military infrastructure since the Warsaw Pact, up to launchers missiles with nuclear warheads that were taken to Russia after the collapse of the USSR".

It is clear that it is, to put it mildly, unsafe to approach such objects - whether they are still operating or mothballed. However, some idea about current state For example, bases capable of storing nuclear weapons can also be obtained from open sources. It should be especially emphasized that in a hypothetical return to Belarus "greatest asset" It is precisely such bases that are of paramount strategic importance. It all starts with them.

Our part of nuclear history

Data on the total number of nuclear warheads in the USSR have never been published in the open press. According to various estimates, in the Soviet Union there were from 20 to 45 thousand units. Some researchers indicate that as of 1989, there were about 1,180 strategic and tactical nuclear warheads on the territory of the BSSR. Bases for their storage began to be built in the early 1950s. And they built, it must be said, to last: they did not spare high-quality cement, the storage facilities were buried in the ground to depths of up to 10 meters.

Among the very first and largest military depots - nuclear bases designed for storage and preparation for use atomic bombs, a base was built at the long-range aviation airfield, located in Machulishchi, which is two dozen kilometers from Minsk. In the language of the military, it was called military unit No. 75367 and had the code name “repair and technical base.”

Another base missile weapons strategic purpose(Strategic Missile Forces) was located near Gomel. Almost nothing is known about it, only the number - military unit 42654 - and the code name "Belar Arsenal".

The most famous object of this series was and remains the artillery arsenal, which began to be built in 1952 near the Kolosovo station in the Stolbtsy district of the Minsk region. Before the collapse of the USSR, the storage facility served military unit 25819, and it itself was called the “25th Arsenal of the Strategic Missile Forces.” Officially, the unit was disbanded and transferred to Russia in 1996. However, the unit was later reanimated, and is now listed in the Armed Forces of Belarus as the 25th arsenal of missile and artillery weapons. It was here that the dismantling of nuclear warheads took place in the 90s under the close supervision of NATO inspectors.

The "Kamysh" made noise and the commander disappeared

After the last nuclear warhead was removed from the arsenal to Russia, confusion and vacillation began in the unit. It was easy to get to the once secret facility, bypassing the checkpoint, simply by stepping over a fallen fence. It’s worth noting that the arsenal was essentially three objects: on one territory in forest area there was a military camp and the actual administrative part of the unit with technical structures. The ammunition storage base called “Kamysh” was located several kilometers from the headquarters - also in the forest. In 1996, there was practically no security there anymore.

Pillars with shields with the inscription “No entry. We shoot without warning” were turned out. The checkpoint premises were plundered, and the remains of the alarm system were lying on the ground. The only thing that remained untouched was the area itself, where warehouses with conventional ammunition were located underground. True, there were no people who wanted to get there. The seven-kilometer perimeter area was fenced with two rows of barbed wire, which was under high voltage. Next to the locked gate stood a five-meter metal tower with loopholes. The spectacle is terrible...

The command of the arsenal and the officers who remained in the ranks and were unnecessary to anyone were more concerned with the problem of their own survival than with service. The local authorities threatened to cut off power and deprive the military of heat for failure to pay accumulated debts. The situation was terrible, and each of the servicemen was spinning as best they could.

The arsenal commander, a colonel, solved the problem of his own survival simply. One day he simply disappeared. As it turned out, he deserted, but not empty-handed. A suitcase with very expensive “trophies” disappeared along with him: the colonel stole 600 magnets from high content platinum for a total amount of about 100 thousand dollars. During the dismantling of the missiles, the unit was collecting colored and precious metals.

How and at what cost the 25th arsenal was restored and, as they say, put into operation, we will not guess.

According to information Naviny.by, about ten years ago this military facility was equipped with the latest comprehensive security system, which consists of several subsystems. The technical territory of the arsenal is a wire fence with a voltage between the lines of 3 thousand volts. Even if you cross this line, inside you can run into electroshock traps with a voltage of 6 thousand volts with three levels of operation: signal, warning and striking. A special video surveillance system also helps to protect the territory at any time of the day. Plus to everything - human factor in uniform and with a machine gun.

By all indications, the 25th Arsenal is capable of protecting and servicing not only weapons of the conventional, let’s say, explosive type. As the military says: “We carry out orders, not discuss them!”

They recently received another such order. After their commander-in-chief on February 13 approved the Agreement between Belarus and Russia on the joint protection of the external border of the Union State in the airspace and the creation of a United regional system air defense. Why not gossip about the once lost nuclear power and possible options for acquiring it?

On Monday, Russian Ambassador to Belarus Alexander Surikov, when asked by Interfax whether Russia will deploy new military facilities in Belarus in connection with the deployment of the American missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, answered completely unexpectedly:

This already depends on the level of our political integration. And also from the points of view of experts, diplomats, and military personnel: necessary, possible, when, how. I mean objects related to nuclear weapons.

Quite a diplomatic answer right down to the last sentence. But no one pulled the ambassador’s tongue, and the information nuclear bomb exploded.

The next day, Alexander Surikov hastened to correct the situation. He told ITAR-TASS that his position regarding military cooperation "has been completely misinterpreted." At the time of writing, official Minsk and Moscow refrained from commenting. But on both sides of the ocean there is a discussion of prospects. American senators are outraged, the Lithuanian Defense Minister calls for prudence.

The entire military infrastructure of the Belarusians is in perfect condition, this also applies to missile launchers with nuclear warheads, which were taken to Russia after the collapse of the USSR. Returning missiles to silos is much faster than building a radar in Poland, says Assistant Secretary of State of the Union State of Russia and Belarus Ivan MAKUSHOK.

He is echoed by some Russian generals. For example, the President of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems, Colonel General Leonid Ivashov, believes that Russia should deploy tactical weapons on the territory of Belarus nuclear weapon(range less than 5500 km).

The deployment of Russian nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus does not make Minsk a nuclear power and does not violate it international obligations, Interfax quotes Ivashov as saying. - Just as US nuclear weapons stationed on German territory do not make Germany a nuclear power.

In general, the military is already making plans.

FROM THE HOURS

Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH, initiator of the withdrawal of nuclear weapons from Belarus: I understood what a threat this was to the country

Stop defending Russia with Belarusian lives,” Stanislav Shushkevich responded to the statement, during which nuclear weapons began to be withdrawn from Belarus. - Remember the Second world war. Belarusians suffered millions of losses that cannot be compared with any other nation. Do they want to set up Belarus again and turn it into a nuclear test site, which will be the first strike in the event of a conflict? Why is this necessary?

- But perhaps the Belarusian side will receive financial benefits?

You can't trade lives.

- But in the event of a nuclear war, will there be a difference where the missiles are located - in Lida or Smolensk?

This is very a big difference. When there were nuclear weapons in our country, we had so many missiles that Belarus was the first to be destroyed.

- How did the withdrawal process begin?

From the Bialowieza Agreement. I immediately said that without any preconditions or compensation, we are ready to remove nuclear weapons from our territory. The operation was also beneficial for Russia - it received weapons without compensation.

- What were you guided by when making such a decision?

- I headed the Department of Nuclear Physics for 20 years. and understood the threat these weapons pose to Belarus. I managed to convince the government of this very easily.

P.S. Stanislav Shushkevich nominated for Nobel Prize peace. The initiative comes from former president Poland Lech Walesa. Shushkevich is nominated for his main peaceful achievement - the withdrawal of nuclear missiles from Belarus.

HOW IT WAS

In 1996, the last strategic missile was withdrawn from Belarus.

Our country voluntarily renounced nuclear weapons.

Since Soviet times, Belarus inherited 81 intercontinental ballistic missiles (flight range of more than 10 thousand km) and 725 tactical warheads. An army with such an arsenal could destroy a target at any point globe. On the other hand, enemy missiles were also aimed at Belarus.

In April 1992, the government voluntarily gave up nuclear weapons. And in February 1993, the Supreme Council decided to join the Republic of Belarus to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

The gradual withdrawal of nuclear weapons to Russia began. The last echelon with RS-12M Topol missiles was withdrawn on November 27, 1996.

BY THE WAY

Russian bombers are counting on the airfield in Baranovichi

Russian strategic bombers Tu-160 and Tu-95 have resumed flights to the shores of the United States. In order to fly to the destination, so-called jump airfields are used - areas where aircraft can be provided with technical assistance, refueling is carried out, and crews are provided with rest. One of these airfields is located in Baranovichi. Russian generals said the bombers are now flying without nuclear weapons on board.

TOLD

I think there will be no such situation and conditions for tactical nuclear weapons to be delivered here... If there is a threat to our peoples, nothing needs to be ruled out, we must ensure our security by all means and means. (Alexander LUKASHENKO during the Union Shield 2006 exercises.)

Modern Belarus existed in the symbolic club of nuclear powers for almost five years: from the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991 until November 27, 1996, when the last echelon with missiles filled with nuclear charges left the territory of the republic

Since then, a number of politicians have repeatedly spoken about the supposedly wasted power, because the nuclear club is a convincing argument for countering the machinations of external potential enemies encroaching on the sovereignty of the state. Then suddenly Ambassador Alexander Surikov will speak out about the possible deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus “with a certain level of mutual trust and integration.” Then Alexander Lukashenko will call the withdrawal of nuclear weapons from Belarus a “cruel mistake,” accusing “our nationalists and Shushkevich” of wasting “the greatest asset and expensive commodity.”

Occasionally, some anonymous sources from the Belarusian and Russian military departments declare their readiness to return nuclear missiles to Sineokaya, provided that a “management decision is made.” It is noteworthy that allied military experts note: “Belarusians have the entire military infrastructure of the Warsaw Pact era in perfect condition, right down to missile launchers with nuclear warheads, which were taken to Russia after the collapse of the USSR.”

As for the sites for launchers, their condition has already been analyzed by Naviny.by - in the publication “Are there no place for nuclear weapons in Belarus?” It is clear that it is, to put it mildly, unsafe to approach such objects—either still operating or mothballed—to put it mildly. However, some idea of ​​the current state, for example, of bases capable of storing nuclear weapons can also be obtained from open sources. It should be especially emphasized that in the hypothetical return of the “greatest asset” to Belarus, it is precisely such bases that are of paramount strategic importance. It all starts with them.

Our part of nuclear history

Data on the total number of nuclear warheads in the USSR have never been published in the open press. According to various estimates, in the Soviet Union there were from 20 to 45 thousand units. Some researchers indicate that as of 1989, there were about 1,180 strategic and tactical nuclear warheads on the territory of the BSSR. Bases for their storage began to be built in the early 1950s. And they built, it must be said, to last: they did not spare high-quality cement, the storage facilities were buried in the ground to depths of up to 10 meters.

Among the very first and largest military depots - nuclear bases designed for storing and preparing for the use of atomic bombs, a base was built at the long-range aviation airfield, located in Machulishchi, which is two dozen kilometers from Minsk. In military parlance, it was called military unit No. 75367 and had the code name “repair and technical base.”

Another strategic missile base (Strategic Missile Forces) was located near Gomel. Almost nothing is known about it, only the number - military unit 42654 - and the code name "Belar Arsenal".

The most famous object of this series was and remains the artillery arsenal, which began to be built in 1952 near the Kolosovo station in the Stolbtsy district of the Minsk region. Before the collapse of the USSR, the storage facility served military unit 25819, and it itself was called the “25th Arsenal of the Strategic Missile Forces.” Officially, the unit was disbanded and transferred to Russia in 1996. However, the unit was later reanimated, and is now listed in the Armed Forces of Belarus as the 25th arsenal of missile and artillery weapons. It was here that the dismantling of nuclear warheads took place in the 90s under the close supervision of NATO inspectors.

The "Kamysh" made noise and the commander disappeared

After the last nuclear warhead was removed from the arsenal to Russia, confusion and vacillation began in the unit. It was easy to get to the once secret facility, bypassing the checkpoint, simply by stepping over a fallen fence. It’s worth noting that the arsenal was essentially three objects: on one territory in the forest there was a military camp and the actual administrative part of the unit with technical structures. An ammunition storage base called "Kamysh" was located a few kilometers from the headquarters - also in the forest. In 1996, there was practically no security there anymore.

Pillars with shields with the inscription “No entry. We shoot without warning” were torn down. The checkpoint premises were plundered, and the remains of the alarm system were lying on the ground. The only thing that remained untouched was the area itself, where warehouses with conventional ammunition were located underground. True, there were no people who wanted to get there. The seven-kilometer perimeter area was fenced with two rows of barbed wire, which was under high voltage. Next to the locked gate stood a five-meter metal tower with loopholes. The spectacle is terrible...

The command of the arsenal and the officers who remained in the ranks and were of no use to anyone were more concerned with the problem of their own survival than with service. The local authorities threatened to cut off power and deprive the military of heat for failure to pay accumulated debts. The situation was terrible, and each of the servicemen was spinning as best they could.

The commander of the arsenal, a colonel, solved the problem of his own survival simply. One day he simply disappeared. As it turned out, he deserted, but not empty-handed. A suitcase with very expensive “trophies” disappeared along with him: the colonel stole 600 magnets with a high platinum content for a total of about 100 thousand dollars. During the dismantling of the missiles, the unit collected non-ferrous and precious metals.

25th Arsenal How and at what cost the 25th Arsenal was restored and, as they say, put into operation, we will not guess.

According to Naviny.by, about ten years ago this military facility was equipped with the latest comprehensive security system, which consists of several subsystems. The technical territory of the arsenal is a wire fence with a voltage between the lines of 3 thousand volts. Even if you cross this line, inside you can run into electroshock traps with a voltage of 6 thousand volts with three levels of operation: signal, warning and striking. A special video surveillance system also helps to protect the territory at any time of the day. Plus to everything - the human factor in uniform and with a machine gun.

By all indications, the 25th Arsenal is capable of protecting and servicing not only weapons of the conventional, let’s say, explosive type. As the military says: “We carry out orders, not discuss them!”

They recently received another such order. After their commander-in-chief on February 13 approved the Agreement between Belarus and Russia on the joint protection of the external border of the Union State in the airspace and the creation of a Unified Regional Air Defense System. Why not gossip about the once lost nuclear power and possible options for acquiring it?

The list of nuclear powers in the world for 2019 includes ten main states. Information about which countries have nuclear potential and in what units it is expressed quantitatively is based on data from the Stockholm international institute Peace Research and Business Insider.

Nine countries that are officially owners of weapons of mass destruction form the so-called “Nuclear Club”.

No data.
First test: No data.
Last test: No data.

Today it is officially known which countries have nuclear weapons. And Iran is not one of them. However, he did not curtail work on the nuclear program and there are persistent rumors that this country has its own nuclear weapons. The Iranian authorities say that they are quite capable of building it for themselves, but for ideological reasons they are limited only to the use of uranium for peaceful purposes.

For now, Iran's use of nuclear power is under the control of the IAEA as a result of a 2015 agreement, but the status quo may soon be subject to change - in October 2017, Donald Trump said that the current situation no longer corresponds to US interests. How much this announcement will change the current political climate remains to be seen.

Number of nuclear warheads: 10-60
First test: 2006
Last test: 2018

The list of countries with nuclear weapons in 2019, to the great horror of the Western world, included the DPRK. Flirting with the atom in North Korea began in the middle of the last century, when Kim Il Sung, frightened by US plans to bomb Pyongyang, turned to the USSR and China for help. The development of nuclear weapons began in the 1970s, stopped as the political situation improved in the 90s, and naturally continued as it worsened. Already since 2004, nuclear tests have taken place in the “mighty, prosperous country.” Of course, as the Korean military assures, for purely harmless purposes - for the purpose of space exploration.

Adding to the tension is the fact that the exact number of nuclear warheads in North Korea is unknown. According to some data, their number does not exceed 20, according to others, it reaches 60 units.

Number of nuclear warheads: 80
First test: 1979
Last test: 1979

Israel has never said that it has nuclear weapons - but it has never claimed the opposite either. What adds piquancy to the situation is that Israel refused to sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Along with this, the “promised land” vigilantly monitors the peaceful and not so peaceful nuclear power of its neighbors and, if necessary, does not hesitate to bomb the nuclear centers of other countries - as was the case with Iraq in 1981. According to rumors, Israel has every opportunity to create nuclear bomb dating back to 1979, when light flashes suspiciously similar to nuclear explosions were recorded in the South Atlantic. It is assumed that either Israel, or South Africa, or both of these states together are responsible for this test.

Number of nuclear warheads: 120-130
First test: 1974
Last test: 1998

Despite successfully detonating a nuclear charge back in 1974, India officially recognized itself as a nuclear power only at the end of the last century. True, having blown up three nuclear devices in May 1998, just two days after that, India announced its refusal to further tests.

Number of nuclear warheads: 130-140
First test: 1998
Last test: 1998

It is no wonder that India and Pakistan, having a common border and being in a state of permanent unfriendliness, strive to overtake and surpass their neighbor - including in the nuclear field. After the Indian bombing of 1974, it was only a matter of time before Islamabad developed its own. As the then Prime Minister of Pakistan said: “If India builds its own nuclear weapons, we will make ours, even if we have to eat grass.” And they did it, albeit twenty years late.

After India conducted tests in 1998, Pakistan promptly carried out its own, detonating several nuclear bombs at the Chagai test site.

Number of nuclear warheads: 215
First test: 1952
Last test: 1991

Great Britain is the only country of the nuclear five that has not conducted tests on its territory. The British preferred to carry out all nuclear explosions in Australia and Pacific Ocean, however, since 1991 it was decided to stop them. True, in 2015, David Cameron gave in to the fire, admitting that England was ready to drop a bomb or two if necessary. But he didn’t say who exactly.

Number of nuclear warheads: 270
First test: 1964
Last test: 1996

China is the only country that has committed not to launch (or threaten to launch) nuclear strikes on non-nuclear-weapon states. And at the beginning of 2011, China announced that it would maintain its weapons only at a minimum level. sufficient level. However, since then, China's defense industry has invented four types of new ballistic missiles that can carry nuclear warheads. So the question of the exact quantitative expression of this “minimum level” remains open.

Number of nuclear warheads: 300
First test: 1960
Last test: 1995

In total, France conducted more than two hundred nuclear weapons tests - from an explosion in the then French colony of Algeria to two atolls in French Polynesia.

Interestingly, France has consistently refused to take part in the peace initiatives of others nuclear countries. It did not join the moratorium on nuclear testing in the late 50s of the last century, did not sign the treaty banning military nuclear tests in the 60s, and joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty only in the early 90s.

Number of nuclear warheads: 6800
First test: 1945
Last test: 1992

The country that has also been the first power to implement nuclear explosion, and the first and only one to date to use nuclear weapons in a combat situation. Since then, the United States has produced 66.5 thousand units atomic weapons more than 100 different modifications. The bulk of US nuclear weapons are ballistic missiles on submarines. Interestingly, the United States (like Russia) refused to participate in the negotiations on the complete renunciation of nuclear weapons that began in the spring of 2017.

US military doctrine states that America retains enough weapons to guarantee both its own security and the security of its allies. In addition, the United States promised not to strike non-nuclear states if they comply with the terms of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

1. Russia

Number of nuclear warheads: 7000
First test: 1949
Last test: 1990

Russia inherited some of its nuclear weapons after the collapse of the USSR - existing nuclear warheads were removed from the military bases of the former Soviet republics. According to the Russian military, they may decide to use nuclear weapons in response to similar actions. Or in case of strikes with conventional weapons, as a result of which the very existence of Russia will be threatened.

Will there be a nuclear war between North Korea and the United States?

If at the end of the last century the main source of fears of a nuclear war was the strained relations between India and Pakistan, then the main horror story of this century is the nuclear confrontation between the DPRK and the United States. Threaten North Korea nuclear strikes- a good US tradition since 1953, but with the advent of the DPRK's own atomic bombs, the situation reached new level. Relations between Pyongyang and Washington are tense to the limit. Will there be a nuclear war between North Korea and the United States? It is possible and will be if Trump decides that the North Koreans need to be stopped before they have time to create intercontinental missiles, which are guaranteed to reach the west coast of the world stronghold of democracy.

The United States has kept nuclear weapons near the borders of the DPRK since 1957. And a Korean diplomat says the entire continental US is now within range of North Korea's nuclear weapons.

What will happen to Russia if a war breaks out between North Korea and the United States? There is no military clause in the agreement signed between Russia and the DPRK. This means that when war starts, Russia can remain neutral - of course, strongly condemning the actions of the aggressor. In the worst case scenario for our country, Vladivostok could be covered with radioactive fallout from the destroyed DPRK facilities.

The Republic of Belarus is an important participant in global efforts for nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament in the context of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

Belarus first declared its intention to make its territory a nuclear-free zone in 1990 in the Declaration “On the State Sovereignty of the Republic of Belarus.” By signing the Lisbon Protocol in 1992, Belarus formalized its membership in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). This step was inextricably linked with the adoption of the most important political decision on Belarus' accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as a state that does not possess nuclear weapons.

In July 1993, Belarus officially acceded to the NPT, becoming the first state to voluntarily renounce the possibility of possessing nuclear weapons remaining after the collapse of the USSR. It must be emphasized that Belarus has refused to possess the most modern military nuclear potential without any preconditions or reservations. Thus, our country actually marked the beginning of the process of resolving nuclear disarmament issues in post-Soviet space in the interests international peace and safety. Welcoming the fact of Belarus's accession to the NPT as a non-nuclear state, Great Britain, Russia and the United States provided security guarantees to Belarus, fixing their obligations in the Budapest Memorandum on December 5, 1994.

The removal of nuclear weapons from the territory of Belarus was completed in November 1996.

Belarus is considering a commitment nuclear states within the framework of Article VI of the NPT, negotiate effective measures for nuclear disarmament as the main strategic goal of the Treaty. We support a balanced and gradual approach to nuclear disarmament. Belarus welcomed the signing by Russia and the United States on April 8, 2010 of a new Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms as the next step towards reducing nuclear weapons. We consider it necessary to continue efforts at the national, regional and global levels to move towards the goal of general nuclear disarmament.

The problem of guarantees of the non-use of nuclear weapons against states parties to the NPT that do not possess such weapons remains relevant. Providing unambiguous security guarantees is the key to trust and predictability in international relations and can help strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime based on the NPT. Belarus intends to continue working on obtaining legally binding guarantees, which could be formalized in the form of a separate international instrument.

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons laid the foundation for an international system of guarantees that excludes the use of peaceful nuclear energy for military purposes. Such a system operates under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency and involves the conclusion of separate agreements with the IAEA by each state party to the NPT.

In accordance with its obligations under the NPT, in 1996 Belarus concluded a Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA. The Agency’s verification activities carried out on the basis of this Agreement confirm the fulfillment by Belarus of its obligations for the exclusively peaceful use of nuclear material and installations. In 2005, Belarus and the IAEA signed an Additional Protocol to the Safeguards Agreement. This document significantly expands the IAEA's ability to carry out verification activities.

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons clearly guarantees the right of states to peaceful nuclear programs subject to compliance with non-proliferation obligations. This provision of the NPT is especially relevant due to the fact that currently there is an increase in the attention of the world community to the development of nuclear technologies, primarily to the creation national programs nuclear power. In this regard, Belarus is interested in ensuring that the rights of the participating states enshrined in the Treaty are implemented fully and on a non-discriminatory basis.

In May 2010, the NPT Review Conference, held once every five years, was held in New York, in which the Belarusian delegation took part. The conference concluded with the adoption of a final document, including conclusions and recommendations for future action. The Belarusian delegation took an active part in the work of the conference, in particular, in the development of the action plan in the field of nuclear disarmament approved by the final document. We believe that paragraph 8 of the action plan, indicating the obligation of nuclear-weapon states to comply with existing security guarantees, is directly applicable to the guarantees provided to Belarus in accordance with the Budapest Memorandum of 1994, especially taking into account the fact that the said document was registered as an international document by the UN on November 13, 2012 agreement.

The preparation process for the 2015 Review Conference is currently underway.