Armenia exercises not to up tension in the region, ex-Soviet bloc chief says
The military exercises scheduled in Armenia for spring 2008 are not
aimed at exacerbating the already complicated situation in the
region, the head of a bloc of former Soviet republics says.
"In passing the decision to conduct the exercises, we certainly took into account in full the complexity of the situation in the Caucasus and made every effort not to lead Azerbaijan to believe that they could target it," Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Nikolay Bordyuzha, told a news conference in Moscow.
Bordyuzha made it clear that the exercises will not involve any major shifting of military contingent. In addition to that, the activities are part of the anti-terror effort.
"I don't think that Azerbaijan will in any way react negatively to the conduct of the exercises," Bordyuzha said.
He stressed that any state reserved the right to conduct activities in its own territory aimed at ensuring homeland security.
The CSTO chief added that observers from various countries would be invited to monitor the exercises.
The Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry spokesman Khazar Ibrahim said that Bordyuzha made such a statement in consideration of his responsibility on the issue. "Baku hopes that the exercises will not cause any tension," he added.
The CSTO comprises Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. It was established in October 2002 to ensure peace, preserve the territorial integrity of member countries, coordinate activities in the fight against international terror, drug trafficking, and organized crime, and to provide immediate military aid to a CSTO member in the event of a military threat.
"In passing the decision to conduct the exercises, we certainly took into account in full the complexity of the situation in the Caucasus and made every effort not to lead Azerbaijan to believe that they could target it," Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Nikolay Bordyuzha, told a news conference in Moscow.
Bordyuzha made it clear that the exercises will not involve any major shifting of military contingent. In addition to that, the activities are part of the anti-terror effort.
"I don't think that Azerbaijan will in any way react negatively to the conduct of the exercises," Bordyuzha said.
He stressed that any state reserved the right to conduct activities in its own territory aimed at ensuring homeland security.
The CSTO chief added that observers from various countries would be invited to monitor the exercises.
The Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry spokesman Khazar Ibrahim said that Bordyuzha made such a statement in consideration of his responsibility on the issue. "Baku hopes that the exercises will not cause any tension," he added.
The CSTO comprises Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. It was established in October 2002 to ensure peace, preserve the territorial integrity of member countries, coordinate activities in the fight against international terror, drug trafficking, and organized crime, and to provide immediate military aid to a CSTO member in the event of a military threat.
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