CIS COLLECTIVE SECURITY CHIEF TO INSPECT RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN DRILL

Interfax-AVN military news agency website
12 Sep 05

Moscow, 12 September: Secretary-General of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization [CSTO] Nikolay Bordyuzha will assess the teamwork
of Russian and Armenian military units which are part of the CSTO
Caucasus regional force in the course of the active part of an exercise
under way in Armenia.

“This exercise is important for us as an element of combat training
of the joint force,” Bordyuzha told Interfax-AVN today before flying
to Yerevan.

He said two motor-rifle regiments, representing each side, and support
subunits were taking part in the manoeuvres.

Assessing Armenia’s overall contribution to ensuring collective
security, the CSTO secretary-general described the republic as
“one of the organization’s most active members”. [Passage omitted:
Bordyuzha praises Armenian leadership]

He noted that the Russian-Armenian force set up within the CSTO
“holds joint exercises every year, just like the Russian-Belarusian
force to the west and the Collective Rapid Deployment Forces in the
Central Asian region”.

According to the CSTO secretariat, the joint tactical Russian-Armenian
exercise is being held in Armenia on 10-13 September. In the course
of the manoeuvres, the actions of units and subunits to protect and
defend the territory of CSTO member states are being practised. The
exercise involves ground units, the Armenian air force and personnel
of the 102nd military base of the Russian Defence Ministry. [Passage
omitted: Live firing will be held as part of the drill]