ID :
200821
Fri, 08/12/2011 - 08:14
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/200821
The shortlink copeid
Medvedev to participate in CSTO summit in Kazakhstan
MOSCOW, August 12 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev is
leaving on Friday for Kazakhstan, where he will participate in an informal
summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation /CSTO/. Leaders of
the member-countries plan to discuss first of all the situation in the
Middle East and Northern Africa.
Earlier, Medvedev said he would update his counterparts on Russia's
efforts to normalise the situation in Northern Africa and in the Middle
East.
"The situation in Northern Africa and in the Middle East influence
directly the situation in the CSTO," he said. "I will positively inform
the partners on the intermediate efforts we are undertaking."
Medvedev is also planning to discuss the situation in Kyrgyzstan, to
talk about "major regional threats, and generally about the situation in
the region."
"Russia is interested in building up the CSTO's potential," he
stressed.
Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko, who chairs the organisation
now, agrees with him.
"We should discuss the emerging situation, the issues which may
arise," Lukashenko said. "They are serious and they are numerous. With the
events happening in the world, the military-political bloc should
coordinate and even pre-plan its activities."
"It is not worth hiding that the entire Muslim world is boiling up,
and we may not rule out a situation where tension may occur in our Muslim
countries - in Tajikistan, there are enough problems in Kyrgyzstan,
Kazakhstan."
The Kremlin's press service said that "the countries' leaders will
exchange views on current problems of modern international situation,
including the situation in the Middle East and in Northern Africa, as well
as in the CSTO's area of responsibility, they will discuss various aspects
of the organisation's activities, and raising its effectiveness."
"Though the discussions will be of free character and there will not
be a strict agenda, it is supposed that the presidents will give orders to
the CSTO's Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha regarding preparations for
the organisation's next session /due before the yearend in Moscow/, and,
possibly, regarding the double jubilee in 2012 - 20th anniversary of the
Treaty on Collective Security and 10th anniversary of the organisation,"
the press service said.
It is planned, that the summit will begin on Friday in Astana, and
after the official part, Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev will
invite the presidents to the Borovoye to continue their work.
Earlier, Bordyuzha said that presidents of all member countries will
come to Astana, except for Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov. The CSTO
unites seven countries - Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia,
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The upcoming meeting will be the fifth event of the kind in the
organisation's history. This forum started in the Borovoye /Kazakhstan/ on
December 19-21, 2008 and later on it was developed in Cholpon-Ata
/Kyrgyzstan/ on July 31- August 1, 2009, in Moscow on May 8, 2010, and in
Yerevan on August 20, 2010.
The Collective Security Treaty Organisation is an intergovernmental
military alliance which was signed on 15 May 1992. On 7 October 2002, the
Presidents of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and
Tajikistan signed a charter in Tashkent founding the CSTO. Nikolai
Bordyuzha was appointed secretary general of the new organisation. On 23
June 2006, Uzbekistan became a full participant in the CSTO; and its
membership was formally ratified by the Uzbek parliament on 28 March 2008.
The CSTO is currently an observer organisation at the United Nations
General Assembly.
The CSTO charter reaffirmed the desire of all participating states to
abstain from the use or threat of force. Signatories would not be able to
join other military alliances or other groups of states, while aggression
against one signatory would be perceived as an aggression against all. To
this end, the CSTO holds yearly military command exercises for the CSTO
nations to have an opportunity to improve inter-organisation cooperation.
The largest-scale CSTO military exercise held to date were the Rubezh 2008
exercises hosted in Armenia where a combined total of 4,000 troops from
all 7 constituent CSTO member countries conducted operative, strategic,
and tactical training with an emphasis towards furthering efficiency of
the collective security element of the CSTO partnership.
The CSTO employs a "rotating presidency" system in which the country
leading the CSTO alternates every year. Belarus currently has the CSTO
presidency.
The CSTO grew out of the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent
States, and first began as the CIS Collective Security Treaty (CST) which
was signed on May 15, 1992, by Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian
Federation, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, in the city of Tashkent. Azerbaijan
signed the treaty on September 24, 1993, Georgia on December 9, 1993 and
Belarus on December 31, 1993. The treaty came into effect on April 20,
1994. The CST was set to last for a 5-year period unless extended. On
April 2, 1999, only six members of the CST signed a protocol renewing the
treaty for another five-year period - Azerbaijan, Georgia and Uzbekistan
refused to sign and withdrew from the treaty instead. At the same time
Uzbekistan joined the GUAM group, established in 1997 by Georgia, Ukraine,
Azerbaijan, and Moldova, and largely seen as intending to counter Russian
influence in the region. Uzbekistan later withdrew from GUAM.
On February 4, 2009, an agreement to create the Collective Rapid
Reaction Force (KSOR) was reached by five of the seven members, with plans
finalised on June 14. The force is intended to be used to repulse military
aggression, conduct anti-terrorist operations, fight trans-national crime
and drug trafficking, and neutralize the effects of natural disasters.
Belarus and Uzbekistan initially refrained from signing on to the
agreement; Belarus because of a trade dispute with Russia, and Uzbekistan
due to general concerns. Belarus signed the agreement the following
October while Uzbekistan has yet to sign it. However a source in the
Russian delegation said Uzbekistan would not participate in the collective
force on a permanent basis but would "delegate" its detachments to take part in operations on an ad hoc basis.
leaving on Friday for Kazakhstan, where he will participate in an informal
summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation /CSTO/. Leaders of
the member-countries plan to discuss first of all the situation in the
Middle East and Northern Africa.
Earlier, Medvedev said he would update his counterparts on Russia's
efforts to normalise the situation in Northern Africa and in the Middle
East.
"The situation in Northern Africa and in the Middle East influence
directly the situation in the CSTO," he said. "I will positively inform
the partners on the intermediate efforts we are undertaking."
Medvedev is also planning to discuss the situation in Kyrgyzstan, to
talk about "major regional threats, and generally about the situation in
the region."
"Russia is interested in building up the CSTO's potential," he
stressed.
Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko, who chairs the organisation
now, agrees with him.
"We should discuss the emerging situation, the issues which may
arise," Lukashenko said. "They are serious and they are numerous. With the
events happening in the world, the military-political bloc should
coordinate and even pre-plan its activities."
"It is not worth hiding that the entire Muslim world is boiling up,
and we may not rule out a situation where tension may occur in our Muslim
countries - in Tajikistan, there are enough problems in Kyrgyzstan,
Kazakhstan."
The Kremlin's press service said that "the countries' leaders will
exchange views on current problems of modern international situation,
including the situation in the Middle East and in Northern Africa, as well
as in the CSTO's area of responsibility, they will discuss various aspects
of the organisation's activities, and raising its effectiveness."
"Though the discussions will be of free character and there will not
be a strict agenda, it is supposed that the presidents will give orders to
the CSTO's Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha regarding preparations for
the organisation's next session /due before the yearend in Moscow/, and,
possibly, regarding the double jubilee in 2012 - 20th anniversary of the
Treaty on Collective Security and 10th anniversary of the organisation,"
the press service said.
It is planned, that the summit will begin on Friday in Astana, and
after the official part, Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev will
invite the presidents to the Borovoye to continue their work.
Earlier, Bordyuzha said that presidents of all member countries will
come to Astana, except for Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov. The CSTO
unites seven countries - Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia,
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The upcoming meeting will be the fifth event of the kind in the
organisation's history. This forum started in the Borovoye /Kazakhstan/ on
December 19-21, 2008 and later on it was developed in Cholpon-Ata
/Kyrgyzstan/ on July 31- August 1, 2009, in Moscow on May 8, 2010, and in
Yerevan on August 20, 2010.
The Collective Security Treaty Organisation is an intergovernmental
military alliance which was signed on 15 May 1992. On 7 October 2002, the
Presidents of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and
Tajikistan signed a charter in Tashkent founding the CSTO. Nikolai
Bordyuzha was appointed secretary general of the new organisation. On 23
June 2006, Uzbekistan became a full participant in the CSTO; and its
membership was formally ratified by the Uzbek parliament on 28 March 2008.
The CSTO is currently an observer organisation at the United Nations
General Assembly.
The CSTO charter reaffirmed the desire of all participating states to
abstain from the use or threat of force. Signatories would not be able to
join other military alliances or other groups of states, while aggression
against one signatory would be perceived as an aggression against all. To
this end, the CSTO holds yearly military command exercises for the CSTO
nations to have an opportunity to improve inter-organisation cooperation.
The largest-scale CSTO military exercise held to date were the Rubezh 2008
exercises hosted in Armenia where a combined total of 4,000 troops from
all 7 constituent CSTO member countries conducted operative, strategic,
and tactical training with an emphasis towards furthering efficiency of
the collective security element of the CSTO partnership.
The CSTO employs a "rotating presidency" system in which the country
leading the CSTO alternates every year. Belarus currently has the CSTO
presidency.
The CSTO grew out of the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent
States, and first began as the CIS Collective Security Treaty (CST) which
was signed on May 15, 1992, by Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian
Federation, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, in the city of Tashkent. Azerbaijan
signed the treaty on September 24, 1993, Georgia on December 9, 1993 and
Belarus on December 31, 1993. The treaty came into effect on April 20,
1994. The CST was set to last for a 5-year period unless extended. On
April 2, 1999, only six members of the CST signed a protocol renewing the
treaty for another five-year period - Azerbaijan, Georgia and Uzbekistan
refused to sign and withdrew from the treaty instead. At the same time
Uzbekistan joined the GUAM group, established in 1997 by Georgia, Ukraine,
Azerbaijan, and Moldova, and largely seen as intending to counter Russian
influence in the region. Uzbekistan later withdrew from GUAM.
On February 4, 2009, an agreement to create the Collective Rapid
Reaction Force (KSOR) was reached by five of the seven members, with plans
finalised on June 14. The force is intended to be used to repulse military
aggression, conduct anti-terrorist operations, fight trans-national crime
and drug trafficking, and neutralize the effects of natural disasters.
Belarus and Uzbekistan initially refrained from signing on to the
agreement; Belarus because of a trade dispute with Russia, and Uzbekistan
due to general concerns. Belarus signed the agreement the following
October while Uzbekistan has yet to sign it. However a source in the
Russian delegation said Uzbekistan would not participate in the collective
force on a permanent basis but would "delegate" its detachments to take part in operations on an ad hoc basis.
