DUSHANBE, September 13, 2012, Asia-Plus — Subdivisions of the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) will take part in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) joint exercise, dubbed Interaction 2012, the CSTO Secretariat reports.
The exercise for the CSTO Rapid Reaction Force that will take place in Armenia from September 15 to September 19 is expected to involve military units and special operations groups of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.
The International Committee of the Red Cross will take part in the exercise in line with the protocol of intentions signed by the CSTO Secretariat and the ICRC in 2009 and the joint action plan for 2012-2014. The ICRC will make sure the international humanitarian law and other international regulations are observed during the exercise. The ICRC together with the command of the collective rapid reaction forces will hold briefings on the principles of the international humanitarian law for participants of the exercise.
The regional security organization was initially formed in 1992 for a five-year period by the members of the CIS Collective Security Treaty (CST) — Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, which were joined by Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Belarus the following year. A 1994 treaty “reaffirmed the desire of all participating states to abstain from the use or threat of force,” and prevented signatories from joining any “other military alliances or other groups of states” directed against members states. The CST was then extended for another five-year term in April 1999, and was signed by the presidents of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. In October 2002, the group was renamed as the CSTO.
Uzbekistan became a full participant in the CSTO on June 23, 2006; and its membership was formally ratified by the Uzbek parliament on March 28, 2008. Uzbekistan, however, suspended its membership in the organization on June 28, 2012.
The CSTO is currently an observer organization at the United Nations General Assembly.
