Military exercise on using CSTO CRRF starts in Moscow

The first stage of the exercise on using the Collective Rapid Response Forces has started in Moscow at 10:00 a.m. today.

"Deputy secretary general of the CSTO Valery Semerikov will present the plan of the exercises, their aims and tasks and give additional information to representatives of the ministries of defence of the CSTO member-states at the first session within the frames of the joint manoeuvres," Interfax learnt from a representative of the CSTO Secretariat.

Units of the Ministry of Defence, the Interior Ministry, and the Emergency Control Ministry will represent Russia at the three-stage military exercises that will be conducted in Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.

The theme of the joint military exercises of the CSTO is "preparation and use of the Collective Rapid Response Force and military forces of the CSTO member-states for the sake of ensuring the collective security".

CSTO Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha said earlier the second stage of the exercise would take place in Belarus in the second half of September, and the third stage would be held in Kazakhstan in October.

A decision on creation of the CRRF was adopted at the CSTO summit in Moscow on February 4, 2009.

The CSTO members are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Independent expert say the Collective Rapid Response Forces are created to suppress rallies of democratic opposition in the CSTO member-states.