From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Fri Aug 25 2000 - 10:38:43 EDT
CIS DEFENSE MINISTERS EXAMINE SITUATION IN CENTRAL ASIA
ASHULUK testing ground (Astrakhan). Aug 25 (Interfax) - CIS defense
ministers held consultations on the situation in Central Asia at the
Ashuluk testing ground in Astrakhan region on Friday.
The defense chiefs exchanged views on the situation near the
borders of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, which have been
invaded by large rebel units, an Interfax correspondent reports.
"The military actions unleashed by international terrorists in
southwest Kyrgyzstan and southern Uzbekistan are regarded by the
Commonwealth's defense ministers as a threat and challenge to the
sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of those states," a
participant in the talks has told Interfax.
He quoted the defense chiefs at the meeting as assessing such
actions as a threat to the entire CIS.
In the current situation in the Commonwealth, states should not
merely coordinate, but should combine military, political and technical
efforts to neutralize the threat of the proliferation of international
terrorism, the defense ministers said.
The defense chiefs have worked out a number of concrete measures
toward stability in Central Asia, which they plan to submit to the CIS
heads of state for approval.
An allied headquarters is in the making and will include military
from Russia and the Central Asian states, Interfax has learned.
Taking part in the consultations were the defense ministers of
Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Ukraine and
Tajikistan, and army command representatives from Kyrgyzstan and
Uzbekistan, since their defense ministers could not come due to the
difficult situation in the two republics.
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