4 Jun 2015 11:54

CSTO rapid reaction force to further upgrade crisis response mechanisms - Tajik defense minister

DUSHANBE. June 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Defense ministers from Collective Security Treaty Organization member countries have highly assessed the results of surprise exercises held by the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Force in Tajikistan in May, Tajik Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Sherali Mirzo has said.

"The defense ministers gave high assessments to the results of the surprise inspection, which showed in practice that our collective security forces and equipment are prepared to tackle their tasks of maintaining security in CSTO member states and defending their interests," Mirzo told reporters after the CSTO defense ministers' meeting on Thursday.

Further efforts "will be made to upgrade crisis response mechanisms, and such surprise inspections will continue," the Tajik minister said.

At their session, the ministers voiced "serious concern over the negative tendencies in the situation in the immediate vicinity of the CSTO states' borders and their influence on regional security," he said.

"We reaffirmed our readiness to jointly counter the entire range of challenges and threats to our security," Mirzo said.

A number of decisions on the training of personnel for air defense, liaison, rocket and artillery forces were signed, he said.

"Issues concerning coordinated training for peacekeeping units within the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces were discussed as well," Mirzo said.

The meeting's agenda mainly addressed the priorities of Tajikistan's CSTO chairmanship, including joint responses to existing challenges and threats to collective security and the development of the organization's peacekeeping potential, the minister said.

"Special attention was given to the results of a surprise inspection conducted in May this year to assess the readiness of military contingents within the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Force. Their forces and equipment were redeployed to the territory of the Republic of Tajikistan," Mirzo said.