Head of CIS Collective Security Treaty outlines priorities

Head of CIS Collective Security Treaty outlines priorities

ITAR-TASS news agency
20 Jan 05

MOSCOW

The Collective Security Treaty Organization [CSTO] is building up
military potential in the areas of potential threats. This was
announced today by CSTO Secretary-General Nikolay Bordyuzha at an
international scientific and practical conference on issues of the
CSTO in the Federation Council.

Among the main modern threats and challenges Nikolay Bordyuzha singled
out international terrorism, illegal circulation of narcotics, illegal
migration and organized crime.

According to him, “the coalition group of the CSTO troops in Central
Asia, which is being set up at present, is being supported by a set of
practical measures”. “We are using the experience of the East European
group which is part of the armed forces of Belarus and Russia, as well
of the Caucasus group – which is part of the armed forces of Russia
and Armenia,” Bordyuzha stressed.

“On the basis of the long-term plan of the coalition’s military
development for the period until 2010, unified military systems – air
defence, communications, information and reconnaissance support – will
be set up in Central Asia”, while “this is being based on single
standards of training the military and setting up asset reserves”,
Bordyuzha said.

He particularly stressed that in the sphere of military-technical
cooperation in the CSTO “a preferential regime is being applied,
products designated for the military are supplied at internal Russian
prices and no VAT is charged on them”.

The conference in the Federation Council is attended by members of the
Russian parliament and representatives of legislative and executive
branches of power of the CSTO member states.