GETTING READY TO FACE THE CONSEQUENCES
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
September 25, 2013 Wednesday
by Yegor Sozayev-Guriev
Source: Izvestia (Moscow issue), September 24, 2013, p. 2
CIS CSTO LEADERS BACKED VLADIMIR PUTIN'S INITIATIVE CONCERNING
RESOLUTION OF THE CONFLICT IN SYRIA; CIS Collective Security Treaty
Organization supported the Russian initiative concerning the Syrian
crisis resolution and promised Tajikistan aid with reinforcement of
the Tajik-Afghani border.
Summit of the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization (CIS CSTO)
took place in Sochi, Russia. Leaders of the member-states resolved
to concentrate on development of the military component of the
alliance... on account of the growing threats and the possibility
that extremists currently fighting in Syria might make it to the CIS
CSTO zone of responsibility. Three joint military exercises will take
place later this year - Cooperation'2013 in Belarus, Thunder'2013 in
Kyrgyzstan, and Imperishable Brotherhood'2013 in Russia.
"All my colleagues agree that the Syrian conflict ought to be resolved
by peaceful means alone. Any external aggression will destabilize
the Middle East and have a thoroughly negative effect on CIS CSTO
member-states," Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
Leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Tajikistan, and Belarus
(the countries that comprise the CIS CSTO together with Russia)
supported Moscow's initiatives concerning Syria.
"Armenia has a massive diaspora in Syria... so that the Syrian crisis
is something we have firsthand knowledge of. Yes, we stand for the
resolution in Syria. We welcome the Russian-American agreements on
that score," said Armenian President Serj Sargsjan.
Belarussian leader Alexander Lukashenko added, "As far as Syria is
concerned, we support our ally Russia." (Lukashenko had several brief
tete-a-tete conversations with Putin. Putin's Press Secretary Dmitry
Peskov said later that the two leaders had touched upon the subject
of the Russian-Belarussian quarrel over Uralkaly.)
"Syrian authorities' decision to let go of their chemical weapons...
made resolution of the conflict possible. We owe it to Russia and
its efforts," said Serik Akhmedov, Kazakh prime minister who replaced
President Nursultan Nazarbayev at the summit.
CIS CSTO leaders decided to aid Tajikistan with fortification of the
Tajik-Afghani border.
"We intend to build 40 outposts... but aviation of the border guards
in Tajikistan is represented by only two MI-8 helicopters," complained
President Emomali Rakhmon.
Considering that the Tajik-Afghani border was about to become the
outer frontier of the alliance as such, CIS CSTO leaders decided to
pool efforts and launch an international program of border protection
modernization funding. It was agreed to be a must since the United
States meant to withdraw its contingent from Afghanistan in 2014.
CIS CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha said, "We will deliver
whatever is necessary for adequate border protection... The Tajiks
themselves will man the border, they have enough men for that. What
they lack is equipment."
Bordyuzha added that Russia might help Tajikistan with weapons and
Belarus with military optics.
Putin suggested the use of CIS CSTO military forces in peacekeeping
capacity. This idea had first originated in 2010 when the lack of
legal mechanisms prevented the CIS CSTO from coming to Kyrgyzstan's
aid during ethnic conflicts in this country.
From: Baghdasarian
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
September 25, 2013 Wednesday
by Yegor Sozayev-Guriev
Source: Izvestia (Moscow issue), September 24, 2013, p. 2
CIS CSTO LEADERS BACKED VLADIMIR PUTIN'S INITIATIVE CONCERNING
RESOLUTION OF THE CONFLICT IN SYRIA; CIS Collective Security Treaty
Organization supported the Russian initiative concerning the Syrian
crisis resolution and promised Tajikistan aid with reinforcement of
the Tajik-Afghani border.
Summit of the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization (CIS CSTO)
took place in Sochi, Russia. Leaders of the member-states resolved
to concentrate on development of the military component of the
alliance... on account of the growing threats and the possibility
that extremists currently fighting in Syria might make it to the CIS
CSTO zone of responsibility. Three joint military exercises will take
place later this year - Cooperation'2013 in Belarus, Thunder'2013 in
Kyrgyzstan, and Imperishable Brotherhood'2013 in Russia.
"All my colleagues agree that the Syrian conflict ought to be resolved
by peaceful means alone. Any external aggression will destabilize
the Middle East and have a thoroughly negative effect on CIS CSTO
member-states," Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
Leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Tajikistan, and Belarus
(the countries that comprise the CIS CSTO together with Russia)
supported Moscow's initiatives concerning Syria.
"Armenia has a massive diaspora in Syria... so that the Syrian crisis
is something we have firsthand knowledge of. Yes, we stand for the
resolution in Syria. We welcome the Russian-American agreements on
that score," said Armenian President Serj Sargsjan.
Belarussian leader Alexander Lukashenko added, "As far as Syria is
concerned, we support our ally Russia." (Lukashenko had several brief
tete-a-tete conversations with Putin. Putin's Press Secretary Dmitry
Peskov said later that the two leaders had touched upon the subject
of the Russian-Belarussian quarrel over Uralkaly.)
"Syrian authorities' decision to let go of their chemical weapons...
made resolution of the conflict possible. We owe it to Russia and
its efforts," said Serik Akhmedov, Kazakh prime minister who replaced
President Nursultan Nazarbayev at the summit.
CIS CSTO leaders decided to aid Tajikistan with fortification of the
Tajik-Afghani border.
"We intend to build 40 outposts... but aviation of the border guards
in Tajikistan is represented by only two MI-8 helicopters," complained
President Emomali Rakhmon.
Considering that the Tajik-Afghani border was about to become the
outer frontier of the alliance as such, CIS CSTO leaders decided to
pool efforts and launch an international program of border protection
modernization funding. It was agreed to be a must since the United
States meant to withdraw its contingent from Afghanistan in 2014.
CIS CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha said, "We will deliver
whatever is necessary for adequate border protection... The Tajiks
themselves will man the border, they have enough men for that. What
they lack is equipment."
Bordyuzha added that Russia might help Tajikistan with weapons and
Belarus with military optics.
Putin suggested the use of CIS CSTO military forces in peacekeeping
capacity. This idea had first originated in 2010 when the lack of
legal mechanisms prevented the CIS CSTO from coming to Kyrgyzstan's
aid during ethnic conflicts in this country.
From: Baghdasarian