MOSCOW. July 24 (Interfax-AVN) - The military component of the Collective Security Treaty Organization will be reinforced, Secretary General of the Collective Security Council Nikolai Bordyuzha said on Thursday.
"We have made a decision to create regional commands (of the Collective Security Treaty Organization - Interfax-AVN) in the west and in the Caucasus, the first consisting of military contingents from Russia and Belarus and the second of military contingents from Russia and Armenia. We have the Collective Rapid- Deployment Forces in Central Asia. Talks are underway on the Kant base in Kyrgyzstan where an aircraft force acting in the Collective Security Treaty Organization's interests is to be established," Bordyuzha told reporters.
Russia provides 50 percent of funds for the organization, and the other five member nations provide 10 percent each, the secretary general said. "The most important thing is to ensure regular transfer of funds necessary for functioning of the Collective Security Treaty Organization's structures and the Collective Rapid-Deployment Forces in Central Asia," he stressed. According to him, the issues were addressed during his trips to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Belarus.
Bordyuzha mentioned terrorism, drug trafficking and illegal migration among the main threats which the organization's members are combating. Taking questions from reporters, he said that he has no information on the presence of Chechen rebels in Kazakhstan. "We have no specific information confirming that Chechen rebels are staying on Kazakhstan's territory. I know that Kazakh law-enforcement agencies are keeping an eye on the Chechen diaspora and maintaining necessary interaction with Russian law- enforcement agencies," Bordyuzha said.
The Collective Security Treaty of May 15, 1992 brings together Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. The Collective Rapid-Deployment Forces in Central Asia were established on May 25, 2001 in line with a decision of the Russian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Tajik presidents. They number about 1,300 personnel.