The Vienna Document 1999 of the Negotiations on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures was adopted by the decision of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation on November 16, 1999 at the Istanbul OSCE Summit. The Document entered into force on January 1, 2000. It is a natural development of the Vienna Documents of 1990, 1992 and 1994. 55 States Parties to the OSCE are also parties to the Vienna Document 1999.

    The purpose of the VD-99 is to undertake, stage-by-stage, new, effective and concrete actions aimed at achieving progress in the confidence- and security-building and disarmament in order to give effect and expression to the commitment of States to refrain from the threat or use of force in their mutual relations, as well as in their international relations in general.
    In accordance with the VD-99, the following tasks are being implemented:
    - data on military forces is provided within annual information exchanges; also data on major weapon and equipment systems; data on plans of deployment of major weapon and equipment systems, and defence planning;
    - within threat reduction actions, consultations are conducted and co-operation concerning unusual military activities, hazardous incidents of a military nature is promoted; visits to dispel concerns about military activities are conducted on a voluntary basis;
    - within the program of contacts and co-operation, one visit in 5 years to air bases, military facilities is envisaged, as well as various types of military contacts (visits and exchanges of representatives of armed forces, military institutions and training establishments; language training courses; arrangement of workshops on military issues; conduct of joint military exercises, etc.);
    - demonstrations of new types of major weapon and equipment systems to representatives of all participating states are arranged;
    - prior notifications of certain types of military activity are provided;
    - compliance with constraining provisions regarding the military activities that are subject to prior notification is exercised;
    - mutual data exchanges between participating states on their yearly military activity plans are conducted;
    - observing certain types of military activities is conducted;
    - regional measures are implemented (in addition to the existing confidence and security building measures that are currently in force within the OSCE, participating states voluntarily undertake other politically and legally binding measures of specific regional needs);
    - Annual Implementation Assessment Meetings of the Vienna Document are held (arranged by the OSCE FSC Special Committee).
    The Vienna Document specifies implementation of the following verification arrangements:
    - inspections of "specified" areas on the territory of another participating State (each participating State is obliged to accept on its territory up to 3 inspections per year);
    - visits for evaluation of information on armed forces and major weapon and equipment systems deployment plans provided in the annual information exchange (Belarus has a passive quota of one (1) evaluation visit per year).
    Since July 1992 until now, in accordance with the Vienna Documents of 1992, 1994 and 1999, the Republic of Belarus has hosted 45 specified area inspections and evaluation visits, including 3 specified area inspections (by Finland, Belgium and Sweden) and 1 evaluation visit (by the Federal Republic of Germany) in 2005.
    On its part, over the same period, inspection teams of the Republic of Belarus have conducted 44 specified area inspections on the territories of other OSCE participating states and 12 evaluation visits.
    In 1996 the Republic of Belarus arranged visits of representatives of OSCE participating states to the 61st Air Base and in 2000 - to the 116th Air Base and to the 11th Mechanised Brigade. Another air base visit and a visit to a military formation are planned for the year 2006.
    In accordance with the VD-99, participating States, including the Republic of Belarus, exchange annually information on the following:
    - their military forces within the annual information exchange;
    - defence planning;
    - global exchange of military information;
    - on military budgets for the current fiscal year and on military expenditures for the previous fiscal year;
    - current notifications.
    Implementing VD-99, the Republic of Belarus hosted and escorted groups of military observers from Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania who conducted observation of the Neman-2001, Berezina-2002, Clear Sky-2003 and Shield of Fatherland-2004 military exercises. The invitation of observers from the neighbouring states was a demonstration of good will and the spirit of transparency of the Republic of Belarus since the observed military activities did not exceed the thresholds for observed military activities stipulated in Chapter VI of the Vienna Document 1999 (less than 13,000 military personnel).
    As a follow-up of the VD-99 Chapter X on Regional Measures, in 2001 the Republic of Belarus exchanged political statements on additional confidence and security measures with the Republic of Lithuania within the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation (conduct of additional inspections and evaluation visits; information exchanges under the CFE Treaty; reporting on military activities below the thresholds specified in the VD, etc.).
    For the same purpose, on October 16, 2001, the Intergovernmental Agreement on Additional Confidence and Security-Building Measures was signed between the Republic of Belarus and the Ukraine. This Agreement provides for the reduction of thresholds for notifiable and observed military activities (as compared to VD-99), and the conduct of additional inspections and evaluation visits applicable to border areas.
    On March 5, 2004, in Vienna heads of the Belarusian and Latvian delegations to the OSCE made a joint statement on additional confidence and security measures between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Latvia, and exchanged diplomatic notes.
    On July 20, 2004, in Vienna the heads of the Belarusian and Polish missions to the OSCE made a joint statement on additional confidence and security measures between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Poland, and exchanged diplomatic notes.
    Since 2002, in accordance with bilateral agreements on additional regional confidence and security measures, the Republic of Belarus has hosted and escorted 14 inspections and evaluation visits, including 3 evaluation visits and 2 specified area inspections in 2005. In its turn, over the same period, inspection teams of the Republic of Belarus conducted 11 specified area inspections and evaluation visits of combat formations of Lithuania, Latvia, the Ukraine and Poland including 2 specified area inspections and 4 evaluation visits in 2005.