MOSCOW. Sept 3 (Interfax) - A second round of talks between the staff officers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states aimed at preparing and holding the Search 2020 exercise and the Interaction 2020 command-and-staff exercise, which will take place in Armenia, were held in a videoconference format on September 1-2, the press service for the CSTO Joint Staff said on Wednesday.
"In accordance with the plan of joint training of the bodies of command and the forces and means of the collective security system of the Collective Security Treaty Organization for 2020, the CSTO Crisis Response Center hosted the second round of talks on the level of staff officers aimed at preparing and holding the Search 2020 special exercise involving the forces and means of intelligence of the CSTO member states and the Interaction 2020 command-and-staff exercise involving the CSTO Collective Rapid Response Forces in a videoconference format on September 1-2," the statement said.
Representatives of the ministries and agencies of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, the CSTO Secretariat and the CSTO Joint Staff, as well as the Anti-Terrorism Center and the Council of the Commanders of the Border Troops of the CIS member states took part in the talks, the statement said.
"The content of stages, the duration and the areas where joint exercises will be held, the compositions of the key personnel, mediating staffs, task forces, and domestic contingents involved, as well as the issues of the comprehensive support to the drills were discussed and agreed upon at the second round of staff officers talks," the press service said.
Armenia is scheduled to host both exercises at the Baghramyan training range.
During the Search 2020 special exercise, the troops will practice joint intelligence actions in favor of the CSTO Collective Rapid Response Forces.
Meanwhile, the Interaction 2020 command-and-staff exercise will be aimed at drilling joint actions to contain an armed border conflict in the Caucasian region.