Medvedev to inspect first CSTO rapid deployment force exercise

.

ALMA ATA, October 16 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
arrived in Kazakhstan on Thursday to inspect the first exercise of the
rapid deployment force of the Collective Scurity Treaty Organization
(CSTO), which ends on Friday.
Besides Medvedev, heads of four CSTO member-states (Armenia,
Kazakhstan, Kirgizia and Tajikistan) will attend. So far it is unclear
whether Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko will arrive, Medvedev's
spokeswoman Natalya Timakova said. "A Belarussian task group will
participate in the exercise as an observer," she said.
Lukashenko initially refused to sign up to the February agreement on
the creation of the rapid reaction force, but in September suggested he
would join the plan.
Uzbekistan recorded "a special opinion", which actually meant it would
not join the force.
The first exercise called Interaction-2009 will be held on the
Matybulak range in Jambul region of Kazakhstan.
"The aim of the exercise is to practically form the rapid reaction
force and demonstrate the possibility of CSTO member-states and the whole
organization to timely react to modern challenges and threats and
readiness to jointly provide for collective security," a Kremlin official
said.
He added the rapid reaction force command will be set up from
representatives of the states participating in the exercise, and the
chief-of-staff of Aeromobile forces of Kazakhstan is likely to head it.
CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha said the first exercise is
not intended to "demonstrate the rapid reaction force might", but is a
preparatory measure. "The first exercise will help us determine what
impedes the fulfillment of the tasks and we already have a sufficient list
of problems that were exposed during preparations for the exercise," he
said.
Bordyuzha praised the plan to create the rapid reaction force saying
"it was a major decision that gave the whole organization a possibility to
develop."
The main tasks of the force is to repulse military aggression, fight
international terrorism and extremism, transnational crime and drug
trafficking, and eliminate the aftermath of natural and technogenic
calamities.
The first exercise was held in three stages that included staff
training in CSTO headquarters, an exercise in the framework of West-2009
maneuvers in Belarus, and the completing two-week exercise in Kazakhstan.
A total of over seven thousand men and numerous hardware were engaged in
the exercise.
The Kremlin official said the presidents will exchange opinions on the
force formation and future plans to streamline it.
In February Medvedev said after signing of the rapid reaction force
agreement that Russia was ready to contribute a division and a brigade.
"This gives you an idea of the scale," he said.
He said the force will comprise sufficient number of units and will be
"well trained and well equipped."

.Russia fully backs UN mission in Kosovo.

UNITED NATIONS, October 16 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia resolutely objected
calls to terminate or replace the United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), as that would violate Security Council
decisions.
"Any attempts to doubt the competence and powers of the UN Interim
Administration Mission in Kosovo or replace it by other international
structures are inadmissible as they would contradict the 'package'
approach to the UNMIK reconfiguration approved by the Security Council in
November 2008," Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin
told the Security Council meeting devoted to Kosovo on Thursday.
He said the UN Security Council Resolution 1244 "remains fully in
force and binding for all."
In December 2008 the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo
(EULEX) was created to assist Kosovo authorities in the rule of law area,
specifically in the police, judiciary and customs areas.
Russia "fully backs the activities of UNMIK that plays the dominating
role regarding all other international presences in the region," Churkin
said.
"Nobody can impede UNMIK in the implementation of its duties,
including the issues of promoting in the region the democratic standards
approved by the international community," Churkin said.
The ambassador expressed concern over attempts to "marginalize" the
UNMIK role not only in the sphere of the rule of law, but also in the
context of the process on six "technical" issues.
He also objected further reduction in the UNMIK strength, which would
"limit its possibilities to fulfill the powers vested with it by the UN
Security Council, including issues of the return of refugees and
temporarily displaced persons, as well as the protection of Serbian
cultural heritage."
The ambassador described the demolition of Serbian cultural heritage
in Kosovo as "complete arbitrariness".
Churkin said UNMIK and the Kosovo Force "should conduct a coordinated
and unbiased policy to prevent tensions that could lead to unpredictable
consequences" after November 15 municipal elections in Kosovo.
He also resolutely objected unlawful participation of Kosovo
representatives in international forums and UN-organized events.
He said during the "high-level week" held in the framework of the 64th
UN General Assembly "Pristina representatives illegally enjoyed unlimited
access to the plenary hall of the UN General Assembly and other premises
of the UN headquarters intended exclusively for official delegations of
member-states." "These people held there unimpeded bilateral contacts with
other delegations without obligatory presence of UNMIK representatives
envisaged by Resolution 1244 for such cases," he said.
"Such outrageous failures in the fulfillment of Resolution 1244 are
inadmissible and cast a shadow on the UN role," Churkin said, adding the
Russian delegation hopes they will not repeat in future.
-0-nec