RATIFICATION LEAVES PROBLEMS UNSOLVED
by: Svetlana Kuskova

Source: Voenno-Promyshlenny Kuryer, No 47, December 6 – 12, 2006, p. 12
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
December 13, 2006 Wednesday

The CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization: military personnel
training accord comes into effect

MILITARY PERSONNEL TRAINING ACCORD OF THE CIS COLLECTIVE SECURITY
TREATY ORGANIZATION AND PROBLEMS OF ITS IMPLEMENTATION; Member states
of the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization train military
personnel together.

The Council of Defense Ministers of the CIS Collective Security
Treaty Organization met in Brest on November 23. The defense ministers
traditionally discussed military-political situation in member states
and the Organization’s zone of responsibility. They also discussed
military-technical cooperation and military personnel training. No
wonder officials of the Secretariat and United Headquarters of the
Organization met with trainees from the national armies of Armenia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan studying
at Russian military educational establishments.

The meetings took place on November 29 and 30.

Russia launched the military personnel training program for CIS
countries in 1996. Some trainees are paying in full, others are
entitled to a discount (meaning that the training is free of charge
but residential expenses are covered by the trainee’s army). As a
matter of fact, it is with the latter that problems were encountered.

Some former sister nations never recompensed Russian military
educational establishments for the provided uniforms, meals, or
quarters. They did not do so because the matter was settled in a
different manner – say, the cost was subtracted from what Russia was
paying the respective CIS country for the use of military objects on
its territory.

Defense ministers of the Organization discussed the matter with
President Vladimir Putin in 2003. The following meeting, in Dushanbe,
resolved to organize joint military training. The heads of states
signed the military personnel training program in Moscow in June
2005. The document stipulates free-of-charge training and support.

This arrangement is certainly something new, thought up and introduced
in the Organization alone. Here are some figures reiterating its
efficiency. One hundred and fifty-nine servicemen from member states
came to Russia to study in 2003, 388 in 2004, and 795 in 2005. All
in all, trainees from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan in Russian military educational
establishments number almost 2,500 men these days.

In November 2005, the Council of Defense Ministers compiled the list
of military educational establishments participating in the joint
personnel training program. The majority of them (45) are Russian.

The list also includes 6 Belarusian, 3 Kazakh, one Armenian, one
Kyrgyz, and one Tajik military college (57 in all). The list includes
nearly all military colleges that train needed specialists. The list
may be extended on the decision of the Council of Defense Ministers.

Ratification of the military personnel training accord by national
parliaments confirms member states’ interest in implementation of the
document. The parliament of Belarus ratified the document in January
2006 (six months after its signing) and that of Kyrgyzstan in March.

The Kazakh parliament ratified the accord in May and Armenian in
August. Sources in the Secretariat say that the military personnel
training accord is being considered by the involved Russian
structures at this point (Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry,
Finance Ministry). The document is not even ratified by the Duma,
but official Moscow has already set aside nearly half a billion
roubles for its implementation.

Some problems and difficulties are, however, encountered, and hence
discussion of the matter at the closed meeting in Brest. In any
case, the subject became public knowledge all the same soon. On
November 29 and 30, executives and senior officers of the United
Headquarters met with trainees. A great deal of issues were discussed:
from establishment of regional army groups of the Organization to
traffic prevention.

In the meantime, the meetings were not centered around "global" issues
alone. More "mundane" ones were brought up as well, first and foremost
ones related to the terms of foreigners’ presence in Russia and to
organization of their studies. Our allies are nettled that they are
treated as foreigners in some colleges. Representatives of Kyrgyzstan
and Kazakhstan, for example, study in a group with African officers
in the Military Academy of the General Staff. It goes without saying
that the Kyrgyzs and Kazakhs on the one hand and trainees from Africa
on the other are at different levels. Armenian and Kazakh trainees
at the Faculty of Translation of the Military University are denied
probation spells which Colonel Mikhail Usachev of the Russian Foreign
Ministry explained were "not for foreigners".

As a matter of fact, the term "foreigner" was frequently used when
questions concerning the social sphere were asked.

The United Headquarters is now working on Provision on status of
servicemen of the Organization studying in Russian military educational
establishments. The document is supposed to make foreign trainees’
life in Russia better regulated and, generally, easier.

Valery Semerikov, Deputy General Secretary of the Organization,
promises that the document will handle all problems of the trainees –
financial, medical, transport, recreational. "The decision was made to
have the document endorsed by the heads of states and not by defense
minister," Semerikov said. "It will be done at the next meeting of
the Collective Security Council in the second quarter of 2007."