Kyrgyz unrest delays military exercises with Russia, ex-Soviet republics

Turkish Press
March 26 2005

DUSHANBE – Joint military exercises between Russia and several
ex-Soviet republics, which were due to take place in Kyrgyzstan
next week, have been postponed for a week and moved to neighboring
Tajikistan, officials said here Saturday.

The exercises were due to take place on March 29 in Kyrgyzstan
between the members of a collective security cooperation treaty
that was signed in 1992 by Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

“Because of events in Kyrgyzstan, the training will take place on April
2 in Tajikistan,” an official at Tajikistan’s defense ministry said.

The security treaty calls for a united effort by its members in the
fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime.

Kyrgyzstan’s veteran Soviet-era regime was toppled on Thursday after
thousands of opposition supporters overran the Central Asian nation’s
main seat of power.