Interfax, Russia
Aug 25 2008

Russian military bloc steps up military exercises

Moscow, 25 August: Large-scale military exercises within the framework
of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will be held
once every two years and will take account of the military-political
situation in the collective security regions, including the Caucasus,
the organization’s deputy secretary-general, Valeriy Semerikov, told
journalists on Saturday [23 August].

"It was decided at a session of the CSTO Defence Ministers’ Council to
hold large-scale military exercises once every two years. The next
exercise, Rubezh [Border or Boundary], which ended yesterday in
Armenia, will, thus, be held in 2010. It will certainly be
large-scale," Semerikov said.

"All the exercises will be held on a bilateral basis and will take
account of the situation that exists in the collective security
regions, including the Caucasus," he added.

In between the large-scale exercises, he said, the CSTO countries will
hold smaller-scale exercises, headquarter training sessions and
bilateral exercises.

The CSTO comprises Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

[translated from Russian]