MINSK TO ASSUME CSTO CHAIRMANSHIP AND SIGN CRRF AGREEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
28.08.2009 10:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Belarus will assume CSTO chairmanship and sign
agreement on Collective Rapid Reaction Forces (CRRF), Belarusian
President Alexander Lukashenko told journalist Thursday, after
finishing negotiations with his Russian colleague Dmitry Medvedev.

Having invested much effort in studying CRRF issues, Belarus cannot
but accept the document. "We invested much both in the contents and
essence of the agreement," Belarusian President said, stressing the
importance of legally formalizing his country’s chairmanship.

"We haven’t been a chairing country for six months, therefore
we decided to undertake chairmanship for the next term as well,"
Lukashenko said, noting that "it will be probably achieved through
a statement by Belarusian side."

As reported by Russian President’s press service, Presidents Medvedev
and Lukashenko discussed schedule for upcoming meetings, particularly,
they agreed to take part in West-2009 military drills due in Belarus
on September 29, 2009. Russian President reiterated his willingness
to take part in EurAsEC interstate council’s session scheduled in
Minsk on November 27, BELTA news agency reports.

Russia has temporarily undertaken organization’s chairmanship. "CSTO
member states agreed to hand over temporary chairmanship to Russia,
a country which is going to convene a relevant summit," President
Medvedev said in a CSTO summit in Moscow.

Decision to create collective rapid reaction forces (CRRF) was adopted
by state leaders on February 4, 2009. Rapid reaction forces will be
used for repulsing military aggression, undertaking special operations
in fight against international terrorism and extremism, transnational
organized crime and drug trafficking, as well as eliminating the
impact of emergency situations.

CSTO is a military political union consisting of seven states –
Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan. The organization came into existence based on Agreement
on Collective Security, dated May 15, 1992.