Kyrgyzstan to send troops to Tajik-hosted CIS military exercises
ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
26 Mar 05
Dushanbe, 26 March: The Kyrgyz side has confirmed that it will
participate in the large-scale Rubezh-2005 military and staff exercises
of the Collective Security Treaty Organization [CSTO; members are
Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Russia],
which will be held from 29 March to 6 April, the head of the Tajik
Defence Ministry international department, Maj-Gen Maruf Hasanov,
told an ITAR-TASS correspondent today.
He said an agreement had been reached with the Kyrgyz military
leadership that both stages of the drills – command and staff training
and the military stage would be held at the southern Tajik firing
range of Eshak Maydon.
Training drills are currently under way at the firing range, with
subunits of the Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik and Russian armed forces
taking part. The Kyrgyz side is represented by 30 servicemen and two
helicopter crews.
The Tajik general stressed that the main goal of the drills was to work
out the collaboration of and raise the preparedness of the CSTO member
states to counteract international terrorism and other challenges.
The manoeuvres will also involve military sub-units, air squadrons,
armoured vehicles and a total of more than 1,000 servicemen.
Tajik Defence Minister Col-Gen Sherali Khayrulloyev has been entrusted
with commanding the exercises.