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What the Papers Say. Part B (Russia)
September 14, 2005, Wednesday
SERGEI IVANOV IS RESTRICTING NATO
SOURCE: Gazeta, September 14, 2005, p. 3
by Olga Redichkina
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov flew to Berlin yesterday for an
informal meeting with the defense ministers of NATO member states.
Ivanov will call on NATO to "cooperate more closely" with the CIS
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which includes
Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
After substantial efforts reanimation of the military political
alliances of the CIS countries taken in the last few months Russia
tries to move the borders of influence of NATO in the former Soviet
Union.
Ivanov went to Berlin to participate in the informal meeting of the
defense ministers in the framework of Russia-NATO council. Ivanov
will hold bilateral meetings with the colleagues from the US, Britain
and Germany, as well as NATO General Secretary Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.
Ivanov is going to propose "closer cooperation between NATO and the
CSTO for joint struggle against spreading of drug trafficking from
Afghanistan." At a closed meeting the Russian Defense Minister and
defense ministers of NATO countries will also discuss "new challenges
and threats and will also evaluate what has been done in the
framework of the Russia-NATO council." Special attention will be paid
to the "elections in Afghanistan scheduled for September 17."
The issues of establishment of contacts between the CSTO and NATO
were already discussed at a meeting between the NATO Secretary
General and President Putin two months ago. On the eve of that
meeting, at a summit of Eurasian Economic Community including the
same countries as the CSTO except for Armenia, Putin spoke about "the
overall role of the CSTO." Putin also proposed using the rapid
response forces of the CSTO for peacekeeping operations in the
region. Then acting Defense Minister of Kyrgyzstan Ismail Isakov said
that the united staff of the CSTO proposed establishment of its own
base in Kyrgyzstan. Along with this, there is already a Russian
military base in Kyrgyzstan in Kant being a part of the aviation
component of the CSTO collective rapid response forces in the Central
Asian region.
During the period since the visit of the NATO General Secretary to
Moscow Russia tried to add more weight to the CSTO, which has not
become an active structure yet, in the three years of its existence.
Military exercises of the air defense forces were held at Ashuluk
training range in the Astrakhan region. Four of the six CSTO member
states participated in them. After the exercises Russia and Belarus
reported about an intention to establish united air defense forces.
Besides the CSTO, Russia also tried to make another organization
operating in Central Asia more active. This is the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO). Besides the CIS members Russia,
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan SCO also includes
China. In July, SCO member states called on the US to determine the
deadline for withdrawal of its military bases from Central Asia and
in August Russia conducted the first joint military exercises
Peaceful Mission 2005 with China.
Vladimir Yevseev, an analyst at the Carnegie Moscow Center, said,
"Increasing its weight in the region, Russia seeks to become an equal
partner in relations with NATO. This became especially important
after a series of "colored revolutions" after which the new elites of
the CIS changed their orientation in political and military
cooperation at the West from the East. Thus, yesterday Ivanov
announced that should Ukraine of Georgia join NATO, Moscow would
revise its relations with these countries. He said, "This will
require revision of our relations with these countries, and not only
in the field of defense and security." Only after this threat did
Ivanov remark that "joining or not joining NATO is the sovereign
decision of any country, including Ukraine and Georgia."
Translated by Pavel Pushkin
What the Papers Say. Part B (Russia)
September 14, 2005, Wednesday
SERGEI IVANOV IS RESTRICTING NATO
SOURCE: Gazeta, September 14, 2005, p. 3
by Olga Redichkina
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov flew to Berlin yesterday for an
informal meeting with the defense ministers of NATO member states.
Ivanov will call on NATO to "cooperate more closely" with the CIS
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which includes
Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
After substantial efforts reanimation of the military political
alliances of the CIS countries taken in the last few months Russia
tries to move the borders of influence of NATO in the former Soviet
Union.
Ivanov went to Berlin to participate in the informal meeting of the
defense ministers in the framework of Russia-NATO council. Ivanov
will hold bilateral meetings with the colleagues from the US, Britain
and Germany, as well as NATO General Secretary Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.
Ivanov is going to propose "closer cooperation between NATO and the
CSTO for joint struggle against spreading of drug trafficking from
Afghanistan." At a closed meeting the Russian Defense Minister and
defense ministers of NATO countries will also discuss "new challenges
and threats and will also evaluate what has been done in the
framework of the Russia-NATO council." Special attention will be paid
to the "elections in Afghanistan scheduled for September 17."
The issues of establishment of contacts between the CSTO and NATO
were already discussed at a meeting between the NATO Secretary
General and President Putin two months ago. On the eve of that
meeting, at a summit of Eurasian Economic Community including the
same countries as the CSTO except for Armenia, Putin spoke about "the
overall role of the CSTO." Putin also proposed using the rapid
response forces of the CSTO for peacekeeping operations in the
region. Then acting Defense Minister of Kyrgyzstan Ismail Isakov said
that the united staff of the CSTO proposed establishment of its own
base in Kyrgyzstan. Along with this, there is already a Russian
military base in Kyrgyzstan in Kant being a part of the aviation
component of the CSTO collective rapid response forces in the Central
Asian region.
During the period since the visit of the NATO General Secretary to
Moscow Russia tried to add more weight to the CSTO, which has not
become an active structure yet, in the three years of its existence.
Military exercises of the air defense forces were held at Ashuluk
training range in the Astrakhan region. Four of the six CSTO member
states participated in them. After the exercises Russia and Belarus
reported about an intention to establish united air defense forces.
Besides the CSTO, Russia also tried to make another organization
operating in Central Asia more active. This is the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO). Besides the CIS members Russia,
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan SCO also includes
China. In July, SCO member states called on the US to determine the
deadline for withdrawal of its military bases from Central Asia and
in August Russia conducted the first joint military exercises
Peaceful Mission 2005 with China.
Vladimir Yevseev, an analyst at the Carnegie Moscow Center, said,
"Increasing its weight in the region, Russia seeks to become an equal
partner in relations with NATO. This became especially important
after a series of "colored revolutions" after which the new elites of
the CIS changed their orientation in political and military
cooperation at the West from the East. Thus, yesterday Ivanov
announced that should Ukraine of Georgia join NATO, Moscow would
revise its relations with these countries. He said, "This will
require revision of our relations with these countries, and not only
in the field of defense and security." Only after this threat did
Ivanov remark that "joining or not joining NATO is the sovereign
decision of any country, including Ukraine and Georgia."
Translated by Pavel Pushkin