Dushanbe, August, 15, 2011, Asia-plus – During the informal summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in Astana leaders of the countries agreed to equip and empower the Collective Rapid Reaction Force (CRRF) by the end of the year.
According to Russia and Kazakhstan media, in the meeting on Friday, 12 August, six of seven presidents of the countries-participants of CSTO participated: Dmitry Medvedev (Russia), Nursultan Nazarbayev (Kazakhstan), Alexander Lukashenko (Belarus), Serzh Sargsjan (Armenia), Emomali Rahmon (Tajikistan) and Roza Otunbaeva (Kirghizia). Just the president of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov has not come to Astana.
The “Host” of the meeting Nazarbayev met colleagues in a hall of the one of the best Hotels of Astana “Riksos”. As the meeting was informal, all presidents came there without ties. Just Medvedev has been dressed officially, Nazarbayev paid attention it.
The Russian leader has burst out laughing and in front of chambers took off his tie and put it in a jacket pocket, transfers news agency RIA Novosti. «Today we have gathered to exchange opinions on several issues: global and regional risks for safety and the stability of the CSTO states connected with the latest events in the world and region, as well as with efficiency of our organisation’ s activity, solution of the issues arising as between State – Members, a forthcoming withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan and issues corresponding for us, natural-anthropogenic disasters in a zone of responsibility of CSTO », – the president of Kazakhstan said, opening the summit. Among the challenges for CSTO Nazarbayev referred “considerable growth of international terrorism, illegal trade of weapons, drugs, large block of questions arising in sphere of information safety».
Leaders of the CSTO countries have decided to accelerate the process of CRRF establishment, thereby having strengthened a power component of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
CRRF will include 17 thousand representatives of armed forces of CSTO States and 2 thousand members of special squad solders of the countries entering into the Organization.
The main goal of CRRF is struggle against terrorism and military threats.
