Author: nina hovnanian

WHY RUSSIA STRENGTHENS THE CASPIAN FLOTILLA

DEFENSE and SECURITY
September 17, 2012 Monday
Russia

Source: Argumenty Nedeli, No. 35, September 13-19, 2012, p. 12 by:
Yaroslav Vyatkin

HIGHLIGHT: RUSSIA CONFIRMS THE BALANCE OF FORCES FAVORABLE FOR IT IN
THE CASPIAN SEA; It is not a secret that the Caspian Sea is a potential
theater of combat operations. The unregulated status of this sea
generates armament race. Russia reinforced its naval group recently.

It is not a secret that the Caspian Sea is a potential theater of
combat operations. The unregulated status of this sea generates
armament race. Russia reinforced its naval group recently.

>From a training basin to a theater of combat operations

After breakup of the Soviet Union the Caspian Sea that had been a
training basin of the Soviet Navy became a potential theater of combat
operations. There appeared new states with different interests and
there appeared an apple of discord in the form of the oil and gas
resources of the Caspian Sea.

We have four neighbors in the Caspian Sea: Iran, Kazakhstan,
Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. Among them it is impossible to call only
Kazakhstan, an ally of Russia in the CSTO, a potential enemy.

Relations with the others are normal and friendly in general but they
can change very quickly both due to the reasons related to division of
the Caspian Sea and other reasons. For example, in case of Azerbaijan
this may be beginning of a war of Azerbaijan against our ally Armenia.

In this case it will be necessary to treat Baku stringently. Despite
the common approaches to division of the Caspian Sea and despite that
Russia is permanently against excessively strong pressure of the West
on this country even Iran may quite become an enemy in the sea.

Who is the master in the Caspian Sea

At present, forces of the Caspian Flotilla of Russia are superior to
those of any neighbor in the sea and even all of them taken together
qualitative and quantitatively.

The Caspian Flotilla is based in Makhachkala and Astrakhan. Now it
includes two patrol ships, five missile boats, three small artillery
ships, seven artillery boats and armored boats, three base and
ten harbor minesweepers, about ten small landing ships and boats,
hydrographic, reconnaissance, auxiliary and other ships.

Of course, there are old ships among them. However, even the old ships
are fully combat capable and comply with the tasks set for them. For
example, despite the 40-year age river armored boats of Shmel type
are in a perfect form and their use in the shallow northern part of
the sea is absolutely justified.

The Caspian Flotilla also includes a coastal missile battalion armed
both with old anti-ship missiles Redut and newest systems Bal with
anti-ship missiles Uran-U. The launch range of Redut and Bal systems
reaches 260-300 kilometers.

There is also a marine brigade stationed in Dagestan. This is a
well trained formation well armed with modern armament. The landing
capacity of the Caspian Flotilla allows landing of not less than a
battalion on an unprepared coast of the enemy at any moment. If civil
ships are used it is possible to land even more people.

Border guards also have 20 patrol ships and boats armed with
rapid-firing universal artillery and torpedo tubes for antisubmarine
torpedoes and high-speed interceptor boats including hovercraft.

In general, despite the presence of the neighbors, the Caspian Sea
remains “inland waters” of Russia still. Our fleet has the absolute
superiority there. Besides, air superiority of the Russian Air Force
allows keeping of ships with a not very well developed air defense
in the Caspian Sea because they will be under reliable protection.

There are also naval forces of the coast guard of the border guard
service of the Federal Security Service in the Caspian Sea. They are
represented by two brigades of ships (the sixth and the 17th) and
have significant forces comparable to forces of the Caspian Flotilla.

The main caliber of the fleet

The main strike force of the Caspian Flotilla is composed of two
patrol missile ships Tatarstan and Dagestan of project 11661K. These
are 1,900-ton ships of the same type but they are armed with diverse
strike armament. Tatarstan carries eight subsonic anti-ship missiles
KH-35U Uran-U with range of up to 260 kilometers. Dagestan is the
first ship with strike armament of new generation in combatant ranks.

It is located in modular silo universal shipborne firing system UKSK.

The ship is armed with one UKSK module with eight sells. The can
accommodate heavy supersonic anti-ship missiles Onyx and various
missiles of Kalibr system. Kalibr includes antisubmarine missiles,
subsonic anti-ship missiles with low signature and high-speed separable
combat stage, cruise missiles for killing of ground targets of tactical
and even strategic radius. Range of the export versions of all missiles
is limited by 300 kilograms. As to the range of the domestic versions,
Onyx reportedly has range of 400-450 kilometers and cruise missiles
reportedly have range of up to 2,600 kilometers.

Theoretically, any ship with UKSK (from boat to destroyer) can carry
all aforementioned missiles and even hypersonic advanced anti-ship
missile Tsirkon if, of course, there is equipment for preparation of
the launch data.

It is clear that a part of these weapons is not necessary in the
Caspian Sea. Antisubmarine missiles or heavy anti-ship missiles for
breaking through powerful air defense and killing of air carriers
are not necessary there. Along with this, it is very useful to have
a carrier of cruise missiles in an isolated sea that can kill targets
far from it.

Flotilla is reinforced

The Caspian Flotilla has been actively reinforced lately. By 2020,
the Caspian Flotilla will receive more than 20 newest ships and
boats. The fourth small missile ship of project 21631 Buyan-M was
laid down in Zelenodolsk recently. It was named Zeleny Dol. The lead
ship of this project will be handed over to the flotilla next year.

Such ships carry silo strike system UKSK (one module for eight
missiles). They are also armed with light air defense missile
systems, air defense artillery systems Duet and universal artillery
system. In total, it is planned to build five ships. However, they
will be gradually transferred to the Black Sea. Along with this,
construction of such ships will be continued for other fleets and
that is why there will be new small missile ships in the Caspian Sea
permanently and the lead ship will remain there forever.

Small artillery ships of project 21630 Buyan and small landing ships
of Dyugon type are built for the flotilla too. The coastal forces
will receive the newest anti-ship missile system Bastion with Onyx
missiles. Ships are returned from repair too. Landing boat of Serna
type and missile boat Borovsk were repaired recently.

Old ships with a claim

Azerbaijan was the main base of the Soviet Caspian Flotilla and
inherited the entire infrastructure and a part of ships. However,
it is not a leader in the “Caspian regatta,” although it wants this
badly. According to its words, Baku already has “the best army in
the Caucasus.” Georgia was the previous holder of this title.

Meanwhile, an old patrol ship built in 1967 is the flagship of the
navy of the country that consists of about 30 units. Gas turbines,
torpedoes and antisubmarine weapons were removed from it in the course
of repair. Azerbaijan calls it “frigate.” The only missile boat in
Azerbaijan was deprived of missiles and handed over to border guards.

The antisubmarine boat presented by “generous” Turks recently is
42 years old. The navy of Azerbaijan also has a boat of chemical
reconnaissance, a rescue ship and training boats refurbished into
artillery ones.

This entire fleet is not very combat capable, probably except for a
few quite modern minesweepers. Along with this, there are six small
landing ships that can transport more than a battalion of marines.

However, there is nothing to defend them with. Border guards cannot
help because they have the same diversified scrap up to the mobilized
ships for support of drilling operations and sea tugs.

Baku plans to buy new Turkish fast boats. The anti-ship missiles
Gabriel purchased from Israel are not the weapons with which it is
possible to parry a threat from Russian Onyx and Kalibr. Azerbaijan
can also place these missiles only on the coast.

The main rival

Iran is the strongest of the probable rivals in the Caspian Sea. At
present, the country has 90 boats in the Caspian Sea. The biggest
threat is posed by two missile boats armed with Chinese subsonic
anti-ship missiles C-802 with range of up to 120 kilometers, improved
clones of French Exocet. There are a few tens of compact fast boats
armed with recoilless guns, light multiple rocket launcher systems
and machine guns. In big quantities they may be dangerous.

Recently, Iranian admirals announced their plans to reinforce the
fleet in the Caspian Sea. These plans cause concern of the neighbors,
especially Azerbaijan. Russia takes their quieter but takes them into
account in its planning. At strategic exercises Center-2011 the enemy
was a state very similar to Iran and the plan was based on parrying
of an attack of an unknown aggressor at oilfields in the Kazan part
of the Caspian Sea.

[Translated from Russian]

TURKISH-ARMENIAN COMMUNITY RENEWS PLEA FOR EDUCATION REFORM

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 18, 2012 – 12:41 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Representatives of the Turkish-Armenian community
have renewed their plea for reform in education to eliminate the
state of uncertainty for children of Armenian immigrant workers, who
are not considered officially eligible to receive education in state
schools, through receiving a valid diploma rather than being granted
“guest student status.”

Officials of the GedikpaÅ~_a Armenian Protestant Church, which opened
its doors last year to 84 students whose parents are undocumented
immigrants in Turkey from Armenia, are still awaiting a response to
their ongoing grievances.

The church officials are striving to provide education for 100 students
this school year under tough conditions, facing many legal and physical
challenges. The classes are held in the basement of the church and
some of the makeshift classrooms have no doors. The classrooms used to
be divided by curtains before board separators were recently installed.

Church officials and families are frustrated that nothing has changed
since last year as they tried to address the fact that “guest student
status” does not correspondent to the needs of Armenian immigrants’
students. The parents of these Armenian children were concerned because
guest student status would not be enough for their children, who needed
proof of their education in Armenia, where they planned to return.

Armenian community representatives describe granting “guest student
status” as a deceptive move aimed to silence the community. “Neither
we nor any family are happy with that. We call on the state to give
our children a valid certificate or a valid diploma.”

Turkey’s new academic year has kicked off for around 17 million
students and 800,000 teachers, with a new education system that
increases the duration of compulsory education from an uninterrupted
eight years to 12 years. The introduction of the system has sparked
ongoing discussions over its practicability.

RUSSIAN POLITICIAN ALEKSEY MALACHENKO: “BY EXAGGERATING RAMIL SAFAROV’S ISSUE, ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT ONLY SHOWS ITS FOOLISHNESS” – INTERVIEW

Milaz.info
Sept 17 2012
Azerbaijan

“It’s impossible that Dagestan predecessors to leave the awful
terrorist act against traditions of Islam without attention”

“The rapid escalation of terrorist acts in the North Caucasus may
cause insecurity in the region”

Moscow. Farid Akberov – APA. APA’s special corersporndent in Moscow
has interviewed the member of Moscow Karnegi Central Scientific
Departrment, professor and famous politican Aleksey Malashenko:

-What is your opinion on the hysterics of the Armenian government
concerning the extradition of Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan and his
pardoning?

– The reaction shown by the Armenian government concerning the
extradition of Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan and his pardoning may be
only eaccepted as foolishness. The fact the the Armenian government
blows this issue out of proportion just shows its stupidity. Why do
they create such a background of this event?” Why do they stop the
diplomatic relations with Hungary? I consider that the policy pursued
by the Armenian government possesses a very primitive character. If
Armenia wants to condemn Azerbaijan and Hungary, it must identify
more serious pretexts.

-In this period of time when the whole world struggles against
terrorism, the Armenian terrorist organization ASALA has obviously
threatened Azerbaijanis living abroad in front of the public community
last week. How can you comment it?

– This issue has fallen into the hands of this terrorist organization
ASALA. We must prevent them using this pretext.

– What do you think of the probability of war between Azerbaijan and
Armenia after the incidents occurred around Ramil Safarov?

– In my opinion, the war will not occur, because there is no winner
of this war. The external forces also play a significant role here.

Anyone’s victory is not necessary to Russia, the US and Europe. If
the Nagorno Karabakh war starts, it will be a great blow to the
world community. At present, the negotiations processes reached its
deadlock. But the problems will be solved peacefully sooner or later.

Consensus will be found for this problem.

– How do you comment on the war rhetoric by both sides?

– I consider that, the both sides chant war rhetoric according to
their own policy.

-How would you comment on the ongoing processes in the Northern
Caucasus? Do you think that radical Islamists killing authoritative
religious persons are an indicator of Islam’s weakening in the region?

– The assassination of Sufi Sheikh Said Afandi Atsayev, one of
the authoritative religious persons of Dagestan, was expected. The
radicals in Dagestan have chosen this direction – the assassination of
authoritative religious persons. They have been continued these actions
for years. They first killed Abubakarov, one of the authoritative
sheikhs, then Bastanov. After these persons, Sirajuddin Khurigski and
Said Afandi Chirkeyvski were killed. I consider that, the radicals
will continue these actions. But I have such a question.

One of the authoritative religious persons of Dagestan was killed. But
his assassination was not caused a serious reaction. About 150 000
people attended his funeral. It was suspected as revenge. But it
didn’t occur. We know that he has many students and followers. They
are very authoritative in Dagestan. I consider that the government
has a great role in their calmness. But there is another problem. If
the actions and attacks by radicals are not responded, thn they
would their chance?! They will think that everybody is afraid of
them. It very surprising, a great terror act against Islam in the
region remains unresponsive.

They think that in the Northern Caucasus, they will be able to
do anything they want and that they are too strong. This is very
dangerous.

The situation in the region will depend on the policy the government
pursues. We will witness how the government controls existing
situation. Will the government achieve a dialogue between the Salafits
and traditional Islamists? Generally, not only in Dagestan but also
in the whole northern Caucasus the number of terrorist attacks has
increased recently. And this could be very dangerous for the entire
region.

– According to experts the war in Dagestan has already started and
that Russia is not controlling the situation. Is this a right fact?

The civil war in Dagestan has been continuing more than 10 years. But
the lost side is still unknown. The federal government is suspected
to be afraid of such a situation and that’s why tries to solve the
problem through negotiations. The current situation in Dagestan is
not good as Kremlin says. The situation is too bad there. There is
a conflict between the Federal structures and the people.

– Would it be right to compare the situation in Dagestan with the
Tatarstan events?

The terror act in Tatarstan was unexpected for many people. As
Tatarstan is region where there is an inter-regional dialogue. On the
other hand Radical Islamists control over a huge area of this country.

Many experts consider that the terror in the region will increase. As
Radical Islamists, also, take majority of mosques under their control.

Muslims have established their own international Muslims society in
Tatarstan as well as Saratov, Ulyanovsk. Those Muslims are are mainly
of Caucasus and central Asia origin. Tatars are also represented
in the same osociety with them. All the conflicts in Tatarstan are
organized by them. When it comes to the influence of the situation
in Tatarstan on Chechnya and Dagestan we must say that there is a
definite influence. But this is formal. Yes, Doku Umarov has already
declared sbout the formation of “Idyll region”. Some people from
Chechnya and Dagestan come to propagandize there. But the Salafits
ideas are rapidly expanding in Tatarstan. The events show that the
religious situation will not be as stabile as before. The latest two
terror acts give the radical an opportunity to feel themselves strong.

This not a good tendency at all and such a tendency in Tatarstan in
the heart of Russia would cause dangerous events.

TRANSCEND A BAD DAY WITH FESTIVAL

Scout London
Sept 17 2012
UK

The Barbican’s contemporary music autumn season gets off to a mystical
start this evening with the acclaimed Transcender festival, a series
of concerts that offers a look at transcendental, ecstatic, devotional
and psychedelic music.

The festival, which runs until September 30, explores music designed to
transport the listener, to conjure trances or summon states of ecstasy
and includes artists from Iran, United States, Iraq and Armenia.

Australian cult trio The Necks start proceedings tonight at Village
Underground, while elsewhere on the programme there is a rare
collaboration between Iranian maestro Hossein Alizâdeh and one of
Armenia’s greatest musicians, Djivan Gasparyan, a celebration of
Iraqi music, the Sun Ra Arkestra led by Marshall Allen, and a hypnotic
multimedia collaboration featuring Oneohtrix Point Never.

Chris Sharp, music programmer at the Barbican, said: “Transcender has
always roamed freely in search of transporting musical experiences and
its fourth year is no exception, exploring music from Iraq, Iran and
Armenia – and including Jazz – for the first time. If there is a path
that connects the bewitching melodic tendrils of Maqam-al-Baghdadi,
the cosmic energy of Sun Ra’s Arkestra, and the hypnotic meditations
of Oneohtrix Point Never, this is the place to find it.”

THE PROTRACTED CONFLICT WITH ARMENIA

New Europe
Sept 17 2012

A further look into Azerbaijan’s pardon

September 17, 2012 – 10:53am | By Farhad Mammedov

The issue of Ramil Safarov, the Azerbaijani officer who has been
extradited to Azerbaijan and pardoned by the Presidential decree on
31 August 2012, created groundless hysteria and a stir around it. The
most important thing is that there is a lot of false information in
what international media writes about the release of the Azerbaijani
officer, and the background of this story, also the unrevealed reasons
forcing the Azerbaijani officer to kill the Armenian officer remains
unknown to a large public.

Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov and Armenian officer Gurgen
Margaryan were attending the NATO-sponsored English-language courses
in Budapest in 2004. Gurgen Margaryan and another Armenian officer Ayk
Makuchyan, throughout the whole course, have been publicly insulting
the Azerbaijani nation, flag and the memory of the victims of Khojaly
genocide where Ramil lost his family members as well. It has to be
stressed that as a child, Ramil Safarov witnessed the brutal killing
of his family members in front of his eyes in the occupied territories
of Azerbaijan, where he was born, and the invasion of his home town
followed by a difficult life as an internally displaced person.

Therefore, the crime perpetrated by R.Safarov was not ethnically
motivated, as Armenian mass media are trying to propagate, but was
a result of open provocations and insults towards the Azerbaijani
nation. By pouring the propaganda of “ethnically motivated crime”,
the Armenian officials try to create an impression that Azerbaijan
is a country where the killing of Armenians is justified, and for
this reason the international community must not allow Azerbaijan to
return its Nagorno-Karabakh region. In reality, few people are aware
of the fact that there are more than 30,000 ethnic Armenians currently
living safely in Azerbaijan, while there is no single Azerbaijani
left in Armenia.

According to the decision of the Budapest court, R.Safarov has been
convicted to a life sentence and served 8.5 years of imprisonment in
Budapest. The Azerbaijani Government, after many years of negotiation
with the Hungarian authorities on the extradition of R.Safarov to
Azerbaijan finally agreed on his extradition on the basis of 1983
Strasbourg Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. Upon his
arrival to Azerbaijan, R.Safarov was pardoned by the Presidential
decree in accordance with the Constitution of Azerbaijan which gives
the right to the President to pardon any convicted person.

Consequently, there has not been any violation of international or
national legislation in the process of extradition and pardoning of
R.Safarov. Article 12 of the Strasbourg Convention states: “Each party
may grant pardon, amnesty or commutation of the sentence in accordance
with its Constitution or other laws”. At the same time, item 22 of
article 109 of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan states
that the president has the right to “grant pardon”.

The most deplorable side of this story is that those demanding today
the punishment of R.Safarov and blaming Azerbaijan for the release
of its officer have not demanded the sentence of the murderers of
613 innocent civilians (mostly children, women and elderly persons)
brutally killed by the Armenian armed forces in the Azerbaijani town
of Khojaly, in February 1992. They also failed to make statements on
the killing of the 9-year-old Azerbaijani boy, Fariz Badalov, who
was shot in the head by an Armenian sniper in March 2011 and then
13-year-old girl, Aygun Shahmaliyeva died in July 2011 as a result
of an explosion of a booby-trapped toy sent via Tovuzchay River from
the territory of Armenia.

One also wonders why there is no condemnation for the April 23, 2001
release of Varoujan Garabedian, a terrorist responsible for the Orly
airport attack in 1983 that killed eight civilians and convicted to
life imprisonment in France, and his extradition to Armenia where he
was not born and did not have family connections. He was welcomed by
then Armenian president Kocharian, and made into a national hero. No
one can explain also why another murderer Monte Melkonian, who was
responsible for the assassination of several Turkish diplomats in
Europe as well as the innocent civilians in Nagorno-Karabakh region
of Azerbaijan, is glorified by the Armenian Government through
the erection of his monument across Armenia. We don’t want to
draw a parallel between the aforementioned terrorists and officer
R.Safarov; also, we do not intend to justify a crime. Our intention
is to present a wider picture of the case and factors leading it,
which was deliberately kept out of sight.

We wish that those naming this extradition as a “threat to regional
peace and security” would finally understand the reality that the
regional peace and security in our region is threatened by military
aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan, continued occupation of
1/5 territory of Azerbaijan, and ethnic cleansing of hundreds of
thousands of Azerbaijani civilians. So, stop turning a blind eye to
reality and be brave enough to call things by their names.

CITIZENS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS SERZH SARGSYAN’S SCANDALOUS SPEECH (POLLS, VIDEO)

2012-09-17 22:04:42

Serzh Sargsyan’s speech on Saturday gave rise to heaty discussions.

Today Lurer.com held polls to find out the response of the society
on this.

Citizens were given three questions: 1. Are you aware of Serzh
Sargsyan’s speech at the Government on Saturday?

2. What’s your assessment?

3. Do you expect following changes or not?

Some of the citizens think they haven’t ever seen the result of such
consultations, some part is of the opinion that it’ll lead to positive
changes. There were some people that consider this consultation as
a pre-electoral performance.

Follow other details in the video.

ARMENIA BETTER BE SECOND STATE TO RECOGNIZE KARABAKH’S INDEPENDENCE THAN THE FIRST, EXPERT SAYS

tert.am
18.09.12

It would be wrong for Armenia to unilaterally recognize Nagorno
Karabakh Republic’s independence, Richard Giragosian, director of
Regional Studies Center, told the reporters on Tuesday.

“It will be better for Armenia to be the second state to recognize
the NKR’s independence than the first,” he said, adding that the fact
is that Nagorno Karabakh, luckily, will never be part of Azerbaijan.

“In other words, the NKR is independent and luckily it is independent
of Azerbaijan,” he said.

The analyst said in case of unilateral recognition the developments
with take other course, changing the peace process in the whole
region. “Armenia will appear in Turkey’s condition, which is the only
state that has recognized North Cyprus,” he said.

Richard Giragosian said there is no need to draw parallels between
Nagorno Karabakh and Kosovo. “My personal opinion is that NKR is not
demographically and economically viable unlike Kosovo case, which was
exclusion and which was recognized by the international community,”
he said, adding that NKR’s future is linked with Armenia.

AZERIS, TURKS PROTEST OUTSIDE ARMENIAN EMBASSY TO FRANCE

tert.am
18.09.12

Representatives of the Turkish and Azerbaijani organizations in France
have rallied outside the Armenian Embassy in Paris, 1news.az reported.

The protest was held in response to earlier reports on a demonstration
in front of the Azerbaijani embassy to France.

The Armenian community is going to protest in the French capital later
today in connection with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to
the country.

WE CONTINUE ALEPPO-YEREVAN-ALEPPO FLIGHTS – SYRIAN AIR

news.am
September 17, 2012 | 12:07

YEREVAN. – State-run Syrian Air company continues its
Aleppo-Yerevan-Aleppo flights, the company’s Yerevan office informed
Armenian News-NEWS.am.

As per the office representative, some passengers are returning their
Yerevan-Aleppo flight tickets, but this is not a cause for postponing
the flights. In addition, the passengers are primarily rescheduling
their flight.

Speaking about some airline companies’ cancelation of their
Yerevan-Aleppo flights “because of mass return of tickets,” the
Syrian Air representative noted that this is conditioned on the fact
that “some airline carriers always reschedule their flights and the
passengers don’t trust them.”

To note, despite the current domestic political turmoil in Syria,
Syrian Air has not suspended its flights to Yerevan.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, Armenia’s national carrier
Armavia Airline Company’s Yerevan-Aleppo flight scheduled for Monday
is canceled, Company Press Secretary Nana Avetisova told Armenian
News-NEWS.am.

“The passengers are refusing [to head to Aleppo], they are afraid,
they don’t want to fly, they are returning the tickets and being
reimbursed,” she said.

DEFENSE MINISTER: CSTO CRRF SERIOUS REGIONAL FORCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 15, 2012 – 18:44 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Interaction – 2012 CSTO CRRF military exercises
were launched at Marshal Baghramyan firing ground in Armenia.

As Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan stated at the opening of
the drills, the exercises were held in line with CSTO combat training
plan for 2012.

The drills aim to form an addition to CSTO’s Collective Rapid Reaction
Forces currently listing 20000 people.

“CRRF are already a serious regional force capable of neutralizing
a potential threat,” Ohanyan said.

As he noted, the commando units of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan are ready to unite in the face of
possible threats.