Kyrgyz president hails CSTO rapid deployment forces’ air component

AKIpress news agency web site
5 Aug 04

Bishkek, 5 August: Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev met the defence
ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
member-states and the CSTO Secretary-General Nikolay Bordyuzha in the
Cholpon Ata state residence on 5 August.

The president has congratulated the heads of defence ministries on the
forthcoming joint exercises.

The first full-scale exercises of the CSTO rapid deployment forces,
with the use of an air component deployed in the town of Kant, will
take place tomorrow 6 August , the head of state said.

“The CSTO member-states have not only a reliable shield, but also a
sword for retribution,” the president said about the use of a new air
component of the Collective Rapid Deployment Forces (CRDF).

Askar Akayev recalled the decision to establish the CRDF – adopted in
Yerevan in 2000. The countries had managed to establish a security
bastion in the Central Asian region in a very short time since that
moment, the president said.

The course of the exercises – the first phase of the Rubezh-2004
Border-2004 in Almaty and the second phase held in the mountain firing
range of Edelveys in eastern Issyk-Kul Region – was discussed at the
meeting.