RUSSIA TO STEP UP MILITARY PRESENCE TO THE SOUTH, MINISTER TELLS NATO
RIA news agency, Moscow
14 Oct 04
Poiana Brasov (Romania), 14 October: Russia is stepping up its military
presence in the Collective Security Treaty Organization countries
(CSTO, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan), Russian
Defence Minister Sergey Ivanov told a news conference at the end of
the informal Russian-NATO Council meeting.
“Russia has recently been stepping up its military presence, and first
and foremost, in CSTO countries. The geographical area in which we
are doing this is no secret – it is to the south of Russia, because
that is where the threat potentially comes from,” Ivanov said.
He also stressed that the Russian military bases are located in
states allied to Russia and may be used to ensure the security of
these countries, too.
“We have no obligations to NATO. We are acting in our own national
interest,” the minister said.
Asked about the prospect of an American military base opening in
Romania, Ivanov said: “We have discussed the principle of a US base
opening in Romania in bilateral contacts with the USA, and I believe
that, when he briefed me, (US Defence Secretary) Donald Rumsfeld told
me frankly about everything.”
It is another question why this base is being set up. “If it is to
counter a real threat, that’s one thing, but if it’s a mythical threat,
that’s quite another,” the minister said.