MOSCOW. Dec 26 (Interfax-AVN) - The Joint HQ of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will be ready to fulfil all missions it is assigned as a permanent body of the organization from January 1, 2004, first deputy chief-of-staff Lieutenant General Vasily Zavgorodny told Interfax-Military News Agency Friday.
"In accordance with the decision of the Dushanbe summit of the Collective Security Council, which has approved the structure, staff, and tasks of the Joint HQ, which will begin operation on January 1, 2004 in Moscow, the HQ is ready to fulfil all missions assigned," he said.
According to the general, the HQ is assigned operative command of the CSTO rapid deployment forces and development of suggestions on strengthening the military component of the collective security organization within CSTO. "All in all the Joint HQ has over 20 responsibilities, mostly about security in the East European, Central Asian, and Caucasian areas, as well as operative command and use of the Collective Rapid Deployment Forces in Central Asia," he said.
He also said that the HQ employed 55 officers, half the staff come from CIS states and will work in Russia on a permanent basis.
Currently the member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.