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DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
August 31, 2012 Friday
LACK OF ORGANIZATIONAL COORDINATION OF COLLECTIVE DEFENSE
BYLINE: Vladimir Mukhin
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, August 29, 2012, p. 2
SO FAR PRESIDENTS OF THE CSTO MEMBER STATES REFUSE TO PARTICIPATE IN
OPENING OF IMPORTANT MILITARY EXERCISES IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS; The
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) tries to increase its
activeness in the post-Soviet space. Heads of the general staffs of
the member states of the organization discussed the main lines for
development of the military component of the organization in the
united CSTO staff in Moscow under supervision of its chair Kazakh
General Saken Zhasuzakov.
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) tries to increase
its activeness in the post-Soviet space. Heads of the general staffs
of the member states of the organization discussed the main lines for
development of the military component of the organization in the
united CSTO staff in Moscow under supervision of its chair Kazakh
General Saken Zhasuzakov. Participants of the meeting corrected the
plan of big-scale exercises Interaction-2012 to be started on
September 3 in Armenia in the working manner. The CSTO troops will
have military exercises in the South Caucasus for the first time. The
region is full of contradictions and potential conflicts. So, it was
not incidental that participants of the meeting discussed "the matters
of improvement of the system of collective security of the
organization."
It is a special question if CSTO member states will participate in
resolving of conflicts in the Caucasus and in other regions of the
CIS. Meanwhile, according to the official version, the military
commanders who gathered in Moscow analyzed "results of inspection of
the military formations and units of the CSTO member states intended
for the collective rapid response forces (CRRF) and peacekeeping
forces (PF)." According to General Secretary of the CSTO Nikolai
Bordyuzha, the CRRF and the PF being currently formed within the
coalition forces of the CSTO should become an important instrument of
collective security in the post-Soviet space. Along with this, CSTO
forces did not participate in any real conflicts yet. Despite the
allied relations CSTO member states have their own foreign political
courses and their positions and actions sometimes do not correspond to
the policy pursued by Moscow.
For example, not a single ally of Russia in the CSTO recognized
independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Participation of CSTO
member states in the CRRF and PF is also unequal. Russia allocated two
airborne formations for the CRRF and Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan allocated only one battalion each. The countries
participate in military exercises not in the proportion of their
contingents allocated for the coalition groups. For instance, at
international exercises of the CSTO Border-2012 held at the Chebarkul
training range in early August Kazakhstan was represented only by
command officers and observers, whereas it allocated an entire
formation of airmobile forces for the coalition group. Situation is
similar at exercises of the CRRF Interaction-2012. Only Russian and
Armenian servicemen will participate in them and other countries will
be represented only by staff officers and observers. So far, there is
no information about political representation of the CSTO member
states in these exercises.
It is quite clear that the format of collective defense in various
regions of the former USSR may be different although Armenia is afraid
of the biggest military threats to it now. They are connected with a
possible war with Azerbaijan for Nagorno-Karabakh and with starting of
a military operation against Iran. The allies can provide moral and
military support to Armenia. Press secretary of the Defense Ministry
of Armenia Artsrun Ovannisyan announced that Armenia sent invitations
to take part in the joint exercises of the CRRF organized in Armenia
between September 3 and 8 to presidents of all CSTO member states.
Armenian sources reported that not a single of them reacted to this
invitation positively yet. Only Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Armenia
Aiymdos Bozzhigitov said that "President of Kazakhstan Nursultan
Nazarbayev does not plan to participate in the ceremony of opening of
the joint exercises of the CRRF of the CSTO expected in Armenia
between September 3 and 8 yet." Along with this, Kazakhstan is the
chair of the CSTO now and its leader could be present at the
exercises. All leaders of the CSTO member states were present at
similar exercises organized at Matybulak training range in Kazakhstan
in 2009.
[translated from Russian]
From: A. Papazian
August 31, 2012 Friday
LACK OF ORGANIZATIONAL COORDINATION OF COLLECTIVE DEFENSE
BYLINE: Vladimir Mukhin
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, August 29, 2012, p. 2
SO FAR PRESIDENTS OF THE CSTO MEMBER STATES REFUSE TO PARTICIPATE IN
OPENING OF IMPORTANT MILITARY EXERCISES IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS; The
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) tries to increase its
activeness in the post-Soviet space. Heads of the general staffs of
the member states of the organization discussed the main lines for
development of the military component of the organization in the
united CSTO staff in Moscow under supervision of its chair Kazakh
General Saken Zhasuzakov.
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) tries to increase
its activeness in the post-Soviet space. Heads of the general staffs
of the member states of the organization discussed the main lines for
development of the military component of the organization in the
united CSTO staff in Moscow under supervision of its chair Kazakh
General Saken Zhasuzakov. Participants of the meeting corrected the
plan of big-scale exercises Interaction-2012 to be started on
September 3 in Armenia in the working manner. The CSTO troops will
have military exercises in the South Caucasus for the first time. The
region is full of contradictions and potential conflicts. So, it was
not incidental that participants of the meeting discussed "the matters
of improvement of the system of collective security of the
organization."
It is a special question if CSTO member states will participate in
resolving of conflicts in the Caucasus and in other regions of the
CIS. Meanwhile, according to the official version, the military
commanders who gathered in Moscow analyzed "results of inspection of
the military formations and units of the CSTO member states intended
for the collective rapid response forces (CRRF) and peacekeeping
forces (PF)." According to General Secretary of the CSTO Nikolai
Bordyuzha, the CRRF and the PF being currently formed within the
coalition forces of the CSTO should become an important instrument of
collective security in the post-Soviet space. Along with this, CSTO
forces did not participate in any real conflicts yet. Despite the
allied relations CSTO member states have their own foreign political
courses and their positions and actions sometimes do not correspond to
the policy pursued by Moscow.
For example, not a single ally of Russia in the CSTO recognized
independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Participation of CSTO
member states in the CRRF and PF is also unequal. Russia allocated two
airborne formations for the CRRF and Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan allocated only one battalion each. The countries
participate in military exercises not in the proportion of their
contingents allocated for the coalition groups. For instance, at
international exercises of the CSTO Border-2012 held at the Chebarkul
training range in early August Kazakhstan was represented only by
command officers and observers, whereas it allocated an entire
formation of airmobile forces for the coalition group. Situation is
similar at exercises of the CRRF Interaction-2012. Only Russian and
Armenian servicemen will participate in them and other countries will
be represented only by staff officers and observers. So far, there is
no information about political representation of the CSTO member
states in these exercises.
It is quite clear that the format of collective defense in various
regions of the former USSR may be different although Armenia is afraid
of the biggest military threats to it now. They are connected with a
possible war with Azerbaijan for Nagorno-Karabakh and with starting of
a military operation against Iran. The allies can provide moral and
military support to Armenia. Press secretary of the Defense Ministry
of Armenia Artsrun Ovannisyan announced that Armenia sent invitations
to take part in the joint exercises of the CRRF organized in Armenia
between September 3 and 8 to presidents of all CSTO member states.
Armenian sources reported that not a single of them reacted to this
invitation positively yet. Only Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Armenia
Aiymdos Bozzhigitov said that "President of Kazakhstan Nursultan
Nazarbayev does not plan to participate in the ceremony of opening of
the joint exercises of the CRRF of the CSTO expected in Armenia
between September 3 and 8 yet." Along with this, Kazakhstan is the
chair of the CSTO now and its leader could be present at the
exercises. All leaders of the CSTO member states were present at
similar exercises organized at Matybulak training range in Kazakhstan
in 2009.
[translated from Russian]
From: A. Papazian