Bryza: Set-up of CIS bloc`s military not to affect Garabagh talks
The planned establishment of a common military by
the countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO), the military arm of the CIS, will not affect talks on
settling the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, according to US mediator
Matthew Bryza of the OSCE Minsk Group.
"We are not aware of any details regarding the creation of joint military forces of the CSTO states, except the initial report on potential plans to set up prompt-response forces within the group," he said.
Officials of the former Soviet republics included in the CSTO, a group dominated by Russia, signed a final document on creating collective military forces at the Kremlin last week. The CSTO also comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Azerbaijan turned down membership in the group.
The Fergane.ru news agency reported that although Uzbekistan did sign the document, it had agreed only to be involved in operations on fighting drug trafficking, smuggling and terror.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said CSTO members considered creating joint armed forces as being pivotal, but it is still uncertain when such units will be set up.
Medvedev emphasized that the joint forces would be based in Russia, although it was earlier reported that forces located in the territories of home countries would be inferior to their own defense forces.
The CSTO was established in October 2002 to preserve the territorial integrity of member countries, coordinate activities in the fight against international terror, drug trafficking and organized crime, and provide immediate military aid to a CSTO member in the event of a military threat. The common army aims to serve these purposes.
Baku believes that the intended creation of the CSTO`s military contingent will not affect Azerbaijan`s security. According to Novruz Mammadov, head of the international relations department in the President`s Office, the domestic and foreign political course pursued by the Azerbaijani government ensures the country`s stability as well as its independence and security.
Mammadov noted that CSTO countries have been operating within the organization for many years and striving to protect their security and independence by different means. The interests of these countries within the organization currently overlap and they deem protecting their security more feasible and appropriate within this framework, Mammadov added.
"We are not aware of any details regarding the creation of joint military forces of the CSTO states, except the initial report on potential plans to set up prompt-response forces within the group," he said.
Officials of the former Soviet republics included in the CSTO, a group dominated by Russia, signed a final document on creating collective military forces at the Kremlin last week. The CSTO also comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Azerbaijan turned down membership in the group.
The Fergane.ru news agency reported that although Uzbekistan did sign the document, it had agreed only to be involved in operations on fighting drug trafficking, smuggling and terror.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said CSTO members considered creating joint armed forces as being pivotal, but it is still uncertain when such units will be set up.
Medvedev emphasized that the joint forces would be based in Russia, although it was earlier reported that forces located in the territories of home countries would be inferior to their own defense forces.
The CSTO was established in October 2002 to preserve the territorial integrity of member countries, coordinate activities in the fight against international terror, drug trafficking and organized crime, and provide immediate military aid to a CSTO member in the event of a military threat. The common army aims to serve these purposes.
Baku believes that the intended creation of the CSTO`s military contingent will not affect Azerbaijan`s security. According to Novruz Mammadov, head of the international relations department in the President`s Office, the domestic and foreign political course pursued by the Azerbaijani government ensures the country`s stability as well as its independence and security.
Mammadov noted that CSTO countries have been operating within the organization for many years and striving to protect their security and independence by different means. The interests of these countries within the organization currently overlap and they deem protecting their security more feasible and appropriate within this framework, Mammadov added.
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