CIS military exercises start in Tajikistan

CIS military exercises start in Tajikistan

Avesta web site
2 Apr 05

Dushanbe, 2 April: The Rubezh-2005 joint command and staff exercises
of the Collective Security Treaty Organization [CSTO; members are
Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Russia]
member states started in Dushanbe today, the head of the Tajik Defence
Ministry press service, Zarobiddin Sirojev, has told Avesta.

He said that Tajik Defence Minister Col-Gen Sherali Khayrulloyev, who
is overseeing the exercises, had delivered a speech at an official
ceremony to open the Rubezh-2005 joint command and staff exercises of
the CSTO member states.

Sirojev noted that the exercises would be held in three phases. The
first phase is planned to include the efficient deployment of the
command and headquarters of the Collective Rapid Deployment Forces in
the Central Asian region (CRDF). The second phase will see the
planning of the use of the collective forces during joint
operations. In the third phase, which will include field firing
tactical exercises at the Eshak Maydon [south of the Tajik capital]
firing range, CRDF subunits will work on managing the forces and means
of the collective security system and the units and subunits of Tajik
ministries and departments.

The Tajik leadership, the defence ministers of the CSTO member states,
[representatives from] the CIS antiterrorist centre and the CSTO
secretary-general, Nikolay Bordyuzha, will observe the final stage of
the drills set for 6 April.

The main purpose of the exercises is to approve the main provisions
and recommendations to adopt and implement joint decisions on using
the forces and means of the collective security of the CSTO member
states; and to check the accuracy of operational and tactical
calculations on deployment of the forces and means of the collective
security system, and on the amount of military and technical
assistance to be provided to Tajikistan and the period for which this
is provided.