MOSCOW. April 30 (Interfax-AVN) - Under the accords reached at the Dushanbe summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the entire armed forces of member nations of the Organization will be entitled to preferential supplies of armament and military hardware starting from January 1, 2004,
"Armed forces of all member nations of the Collective Security Treaty Organization will be entitled to preferential arms supplies starting from January 1, 2004. The decision to this effect was made by the heads of the member nations in Dushanbe on April 28. It will be valid as soon as the prime ministers of the member nations sign an appropriate protocol," Vladimir Paleshchuk, deputy chairman of the Russian Committee for Military- Technical Cooperation with Foreign States, told Interfax-Military News Agency on Wednesday.
Quotas restricted arms supplies until recently, he said. Lists of military-purpose products supplied on preferential conditions to the military units of the Organization members forming collective security forces were elaborated annually in the beginning of the year. Now the entire armed forces of the Organization members are entitled to preferential supplies.
The accords authorize mutual supplies, not only Russian arms exports to other member nations of the Organization, Paleshchuk said. These nations will also supply their military-purpose products to Russia on preferential conditions.
"The range of products supplied from the member nations of the Organization is not broad at the moment, but I hope that the situation will change in the next few years, and we will act on a parity basis," the official said.
In response to a question, Paleshchuk said preferential supplies are distinguished for the following two criteria. First, the price of military-purpose products supplied to member nations of the Organization cannot be higher than the price of armament supplied to domestic armed forces. Second, transportation of these products on the Russian territory to the border of the recipient country is paid for on tariffs set for domestic armed forces.
There are no quotas on supplies, Paleshchuk stressed. But this does not mean that there will not be any rules and restrictions. The heads of states signatories to the Collective Security Treaty have established a mechanism of control over the use of supplied hardware.
"Each nation consuming military hardware that asks another member nation of the Collective Security Treaty Organization for supplies of military-purpose products assumes obligations and declares the use of the products. The country that sells the military hardware has the right to exercise regular control over its use, up to sending inspection teams. This provision did not exist before," the official said.
Military hardware cannot get to third countries secretly, he stressed. This does not mean, however, that supplies to third countries are ruled out.
"Military hardware supplies to third countries can be effected only upon securing the consent of the supplier nation. Special conditions of supply must be applied in this case. Hardware will be sold at international prices, not at domestic ones. The supplier country will get a compensation," Paleshchuk noted.