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ANTI-NATO TREATY ORGANIZATION
by Vladimir Soloviov
WPS Agency
What the Papers Say (Russia)
September 8, 2008 Monday
Russia
CIS COLLECTIVE SECURITY TREATY ORGANIZATION SUMMIT IN MOSCOW:
TRANSFORMATION INTO A MILITARY BLOC; Moscow prepares the CIS Collective
Security Treaty Organization for a confrontation with the West.
The declaration leaders of the CIS Collective Security Treaty
Organization (Organization) adopted at the summit in Moscow may well be
appraised as a policy statement. Georgia's upsetting actions in South
Ossetia mentioned in it in passing, seven member states gave their
full and undivided attention to relations with the West. Countries of
the Organization warned NATO against continued eastward expansion
and installation of ABM defense systems near the zone of their
interests. That done, they pledged readiness and willingness to
develop the military component of the Organization. In a word,
Moscow is out to transform the Organization into a military bloc,
analog of the erstwhile Warsaw Treaty Organization.
President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev met with all participants of the
Organization's Collective Security Council even before the session
of the latter. He saw leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
and Uzbekistan at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in
Dushanbe on August 26, and discussed matters of mutual concern with
his colleagues from Armenia and Belarus in his Sochi residence. All
the same, the impression was that the chiefs of states were meeting
for the first time after some long internal indeed. Their meeting in
private lasted almost three hours.
It turned out when the presidents finally emerged from seclusion
and met with journalists that the final declaration dedicated but a
couple of line to the Georgian issue. Organization leaders expressed
a deep concern over "Georgia's effort to settle the conflict in South
Ossetia by sheer strength of arms, one that resulted in numerous
losses among noncombatants and peacekeepers and in grave humanitarian
consequences." They seconded "Russia's active part in facilitation
of peace and cooperation in the region" and "maintenance of stable
security of South Ossetia and Abkhazia."
The rest of the document was centered around the situation in
the world and the role of the Organization in it. Organization
leaders pledged "resolve to keep up close coordination in foreign
political affairs, promote the policy of development of military
and military-technical cooperation, and advance interaction in all
issues and spheres." Determined to maintain security in their zone of
responsibility without any external help or interference, countries
of the Organization warned the international community to stay away
from it. In fact, they made it plain exactly who constituted this
potential interference. "Serious conflict potential is being fomented
right near the zone of responsibility of the CIS Collective Security
Treaty Organization," the declaration stated. "Countries of the CIS
Collective Security Treaty Organization urge NATO members to weigh all
corollaries of NATO's eastward expansion and installation of objects
of the ABM defense system near the borders of Organization members."
By and large, the declaration covered a broad spectrum of issues. The
document mentioned the Iranian nuclear problem (one to be solved
through negotiations), the situation in Afghanistan (the Organization
offered its services in establishment of stabilization in this
country), and proliferation of intermediate- and shorter-range
missiles (the Organization suggested their complete ban). Support
of the Russian president's idea of a new European security treaty
made it plain that the zone of the new military alliance's interests
covered practically the whole world.
All key theses were aired at the press conference Medvedev and his
Armenian opposite number Serj Sargsjan (Organization chair-in-office,
these days) gave together.
"Our partners in the Organization are unanimously critical of Georgia's
actions in South Ossetia. We've just had a productive, straightforward,
and pragmatic conversation," the Russian leader said. "We demonstrated
a new level of coordination along with the readiness to defend our
interests whenever necessary. Confrontation is not our choice, and
that is that."
Asked whether or not other countries of the Organization intended to
recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Medvedev said it was their own
decision, one to be made on the basis of every country's national
interests.
"We will continue development of the military component of the
Organization," Medvedev said. "Advancement of the joint military
development is one of the priorities. The CIS Collective Security
Treaty Organization has always been and remains now a guarantor
of sovereignty and territorial integrity of our countries and
non-interference with their affairs."
An Armenian journalist who asked Medvedev what the Organization had
to do to be heeded by world powers actually gave the Russian leader
an opening he needed.
"If you ask me, Organization members themselves are world powers,"
he said. "Young as the Organization is, it needs an advanced military
component if it is to command respect. Evolution of the Organization
requires certain firmness and development of its military component."
Sargsjan in his turn suggested coordination of foreign political
activities as another must.
A Belarussian correspondent wanted to know what conclusions, if any,
summit participants had drawn.
"One has to behave and abide by the international law," was the
answer. "Whoever refuses to should be prepared to be repelled. The
conflict in Georgia is a lesson to all, including whoever is determined
to continue military-technical cooperation with this country."
Medvedev said the international security framework that had existed
before August 8 proved its inadequacy.
"We should start thinking of a new framework, one centered around
the international law, prevention of conflicts, and prevention of
authority of any state arrogant enough to usurp the right to form a
new world order," he said.
Transforming the Organization into a military alliance, Russia intends
to contribute to development of the new security framework. As of now,
all Organization summits will be convened in Moscow alone.
by Vladimir Soloviov
WPS Agency
What the Papers Say (Russia)
September 8, 2008 Monday
Russia
CIS COLLECTIVE SECURITY TREATY ORGANIZATION SUMMIT IN MOSCOW:
TRANSFORMATION INTO A MILITARY BLOC; Moscow prepares the CIS Collective
Security Treaty Organization for a confrontation with the West.
The declaration leaders of the CIS Collective Security Treaty
Organization (Organization) adopted at the summit in Moscow may well be
appraised as a policy statement. Georgia's upsetting actions in South
Ossetia mentioned in it in passing, seven member states gave their
full and undivided attention to relations with the West. Countries of
the Organization warned NATO against continued eastward expansion
and installation of ABM defense systems near the zone of their
interests. That done, they pledged readiness and willingness to
develop the military component of the Organization. In a word,
Moscow is out to transform the Organization into a military bloc,
analog of the erstwhile Warsaw Treaty Organization.
President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev met with all participants of the
Organization's Collective Security Council even before the session
of the latter. He saw leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
and Uzbekistan at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in
Dushanbe on August 26, and discussed matters of mutual concern with
his colleagues from Armenia and Belarus in his Sochi residence. All
the same, the impression was that the chiefs of states were meeting
for the first time after some long internal indeed. Their meeting in
private lasted almost three hours.
It turned out when the presidents finally emerged from seclusion
and met with journalists that the final declaration dedicated but a
couple of line to the Georgian issue. Organization leaders expressed
a deep concern over "Georgia's effort to settle the conflict in South
Ossetia by sheer strength of arms, one that resulted in numerous
losses among noncombatants and peacekeepers and in grave humanitarian
consequences." They seconded "Russia's active part in facilitation
of peace and cooperation in the region" and "maintenance of stable
security of South Ossetia and Abkhazia."
The rest of the document was centered around the situation in
the world and the role of the Organization in it. Organization
leaders pledged "resolve to keep up close coordination in foreign
political affairs, promote the policy of development of military
and military-technical cooperation, and advance interaction in all
issues and spheres." Determined to maintain security in their zone of
responsibility without any external help or interference, countries
of the Organization warned the international community to stay away
from it. In fact, they made it plain exactly who constituted this
potential interference. "Serious conflict potential is being fomented
right near the zone of responsibility of the CIS Collective Security
Treaty Organization," the declaration stated. "Countries of the CIS
Collective Security Treaty Organization urge NATO members to weigh all
corollaries of NATO's eastward expansion and installation of objects
of the ABM defense system near the borders of Organization members."
By and large, the declaration covered a broad spectrum of issues. The
document mentioned the Iranian nuclear problem (one to be solved
through negotiations), the situation in Afghanistan (the Organization
offered its services in establishment of stabilization in this
country), and proliferation of intermediate- and shorter-range
missiles (the Organization suggested their complete ban). Support
of the Russian president's idea of a new European security treaty
made it plain that the zone of the new military alliance's interests
covered practically the whole world.
All key theses were aired at the press conference Medvedev and his
Armenian opposite number Serj Sargsjan (Organization chair-in-office,
these days) gave together.
"Our partners in the Organization are unanimously critical of Georgia's
actions in South Ossetia. We've just had a productive, straightforward,
and pragmatic conversation," the Russian leader said. "We demonstrated
a new level of coordination along with the readiness to defend our
interests whenever necessary. Confrontation is not our choice, and
that is that."
Asked whether or not other countries of the Organization intended to
recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Medvedev said it was their own
decision, one to be made on the basis of every country's national
interests.
"We will continue development of the military component of the
Organization," Medvedev said. "Advancement of the joint military
development is one of the priorities. The CIS Collective Security
Treaty Organization has always been and remains now a guarantor
of sovereignty and territorial integrity of our countries and
non-interference with their affairs."
An Armenian journalist who asked Medvedev what the Organization had
to do to be heeded by world powers actually gave the Russian leader
an opening he needed.
"If you ask me, Organization members themselves are world powers,"
he said. "Young as the Organization is, it needs an advanced military
component if it is to command respect. Evolution of the Organization
requires certain firmness and development of its military component."
Sargsjan in his turn suggested coordination of foreign political
activities as another must.
A Belarussian correspondent wanted to know what conclusions, if any,
summit participants had drawn.
"One has to behave and abide by the international law," was the
answer. "Whoever refuses to should be prepared to be repelled. The
conflict in Georgia is a lesson to all, including whoever is determined
to continue military-technical cooperation with this country."
Medvedev said the international security framework that had existed
before August 8 proved its inadequacy.
"We should start thinking of a new framework, one centered around
the international law, prevention of conflicts, and prevention of
authority of any state arrogant enough to usurp the right to form a
new world order," he said.
Transforming the Organization into a military alliance, Russia intends
to contribute to development of the new security framework. As of now,
all Organization summits will be convened in Moscow alone.