A special military force dedicated to protecting Central Asia from attack is to be created under the auspices of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), according to a report in a Russian newspaper.
The newspaper, Kommersant, reported on May 29 that the idea for a special force was first mooted four years ago. "This is a purely a military structure created to ensure security in Central Asia in the event of an attack from outside," the newspaper quoted a Foreign Ministry source as saying. Work continues "on all fronts" and it is merely a matter of having the appropriate documents signed, the source adds.
The military force would operate within existing CSTO structures and include Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the report stated. A meeting of CSTO defense ministers is scheduled to be held on June 3 in Moscow.
