Kyrgyz FM urges further military cooperation with Russia

Kabar news agency, Bishkek
16 Feb 05

Bishkek, 16 February: The task of further strengthening cooperation
in the military and political and military and technical spheres
under the Collective Security Treaty Organization [CSTO; members
are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Russia]
is a pressing one, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Askar Aytmatov has told
a meeting at the ministry.

He said that cooperation should be stepped up “primarily with Russia
by implementing agreements under the CSTO and strengthening the
contractual and legal base aimed at further strengthening collective
security system in Central Asia”.

The foreign minister said that Kyrgyzstan also attached
great significance to membership of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization [SCO; members are China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia], which, along with the CSTO, is also
considered to be a key component in ensuring national security of
the countries. Aytmatov said that these organizations also play an
important role in ensuring regional security.

“On the whole Kyrgyzstan’s participation in multilateral agreements
within the CIS, the CSTO, the Eurasian Economic Community [EAEC],
the Central Asian Cooperation Organization [CACO] and the SCO should
be flexible and carried out in close cooperation with partners on a
bilateral basis,” Aytmatov said.