BELARUS: Initiative to Control Small Arms to Begin This Year

Belarus plans on implementing an internationally funded program to build technical capacity in small arms control in 2008, reported Belapan, citing information from the Ministry of Defense press office. According to the ministry, fifteen military units are to be involved in the project. The planned activities are estimated to cost $3.5 million, with OSCE countries currently contributing more than $600,000. This sum will fund the first phase of the program, which will aim to improve conditions of storage, security and accounting of small arms and light weapons in several of the country’s military units, reports the news source.

This information was originally published on February 5, 2008. (www.belapan.com)

-- 02/26/2008