Post-Soviet states to hold military drills in Kazakhstan

MOSCOW, October 1 (RIA Novosti) – Over 7,000 service personnel from
member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
will take part in large-scale regional security drills in Kazakhstan,
the Russian military said on Thursday.
The exercise of the CSTO collective rapid reaction force will be held
at Kazakhstan’s Matybulak training grounds on October 2-15, and
involve units from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
"Kazakhstan has never hosted military exercises on such a large scale
with the simultaneous involvement of over 7,000 troops," a Russian
Airborne Troops spokesman said.
"All the participants in the exercises – operational commands,
military contingents and special force units – have arrived at the
training grounds," the official said.
According to the CSTO Secretariat, the exercise is aimed at practicing
the deployment of the collective rapid reaction force in crisis
situations on the territory of CSTO member states.
The CSTO comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia,
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. However, Belarus and Uzbekistan refused to
join the collective rapid reaction force structure.
Analysts say the creation of a powerful military contingent in Central
Asia reflects Moscow’s drive to make the CSTO a pro-Russian military
bloc, rivaling NATO forces in Europe.
Russia’s security strategy until 2020, recently approved by President
Dmitry Medvedev, envisions the CSTO as "a key mechanism to counter
regional military challenges and threats."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress