CSTO DEFENSE MINISTERS TO MEET AUG. 21 IN ARMENIA

RIA Novosti
July 9 2008
Russia

Defense ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
will hold a meeting in the capital of Armenia, Yerevan, on August 21,
a spokesman for the Armenian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

CSTO is a post-Soviet security grouping, which comprises Armenia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.

"After the meeting the ministers will attend the final stage of
the Rubezh-2008 joint command-and-staff exercise held in Armenia,"
Col. Seiran Shakhsuvaryan said.

About 4,000 troops from Armenia, Russia and Tajikistan will take
part in the four-stage Rubezh-2008 military exercise on territory of
Armenia and Russia this Summer/Fall.

Other CSTO members will be represented by military staff from
respective defense ministries.

Russia, Belarus and ex-Soviet Central Asian republics have already
developed common air defense and communications networks, and are
continuing to work on other joint defense networks.