RUSSIA IS NOT GOING TO EXERT PRESSURE UPON ITS PARTNER COUNTRIES TO MAKE THEM RECOGNIZE INDEPENDENCE OF SOUTH OSSETIA AND ABKHAZIA, NIKOLAY PATRUSHEV SAYS

Noyan Tapan

Se p 3, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. The Secretaries of Security
Councils of CSTO member countries signed an Agreement on Retraining
of Specialists of Law-enforcement, Fire-fighting, Rescue Bodies
and Special Structures of CSTO member-countries on September 3 in
Yerevan. CSTO Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha and Secretary of
Armenia’s Security Council Artur Baghdasarian reported at a press
conference held the same day. A. Baghdasarian added that the member
countries have also signed a draft On Additional Means of Strengthening
Anti-narcotism Activity within the framework of CSTO, as well as a
program On Joint Actions on Formation of Information Security System.

An Agreement On Revision, Financing, and Implementation of Interstate
Target Programs has been also signed.

A. Baghdasarian expressed the hope that these documents will
enable representatives of CSTO participant-countries in the
current year to carry out much more efficient activity to ensure
collective security. And according to N. Bordyuzha, today the world
military-political situation dictates further activization of CSTO
work.

Nikolay Patrushev, the Secretary of the RF Security Council, said that
the latest events in South Ossetia were also discussed. According to
him, it was Georgia that first resumed the war, and Russia delivered
a counter-blow only to defend the peaceful population. And that blow,
according to N. Patrushev, was only aimed at the points that posed
immediate danger for Ossetians and Russian peacekeepers.

The Secretary of the RF Security Council added that Russia is not going
to exert pressure upon its partner countries to make them recognize
the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. He affirmed that
the partner countries gradually being informed of the real facts,
will at last take that step.