CSTO MEMBERS WILL HOLD JOINT EXERCISE IN RUSSIA, ARMENIA IN 2008

Russia & CIS Military Newswire
December 19, 2007 Wednesday 1:32 PM MSK

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will hold command
and post exercises in the Caucasian Collective Security District in
summer 2008.

"These maneuvers are provided for by an action plan on the
implementation of decisions made at the Dushanbe session (2007)
of the CSTO Collective Security Council, which were discussed and
coordinated with the CSTO Permanent Council," press secretary for
the CSTO secretariat Vitaly Strugovets told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday.

The plan provides for the further development and improvement of legal
and organization formalization of a CSTO peacekeeping mechanism,
including the formation and legal formalization of peacekeeping
contingents that CSTO member states give to the CSTO Collective
Peacekeeping Forces.

The development of the legal base for CSTO activity in the area
of military and economic cooperation and the re-equipment of Rapid
Deployment Collective Forces of the Central Asian district with modern
arms and equipment will continue. Moreover, more officers will be
prepared at military education facilities of CSTO member states.