We are ready for threats of any scale. ”
CSTO General Secretary Nikolai Bordyuzha believes that a powerful fist from six states will oppose IS
Formed in 1992, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) takes on the shape of a real military alliance consisting of Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. A press conference of the CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha was held at the Russia Today news agency during which he reported on the results of the organization’s work over the past two months.
CSTO improves combat training
According to Bordyuzha, representatives of the CSTO countries noted a serious deterioration of the geopolitical situation in the region and the world as a whole. The CSTO focuses on two areas now: the situation in Afghanistan and the opposition to the recruitment activities of the “Islamic State”.
As part of countering possible threats, the CSTO is improving its military structure. In mid-May, for the first time, there was a surprise check of the Collective Rapid Reaction Force (CRRF) of 22 thousands of people. The advanced CSTOR echelon, consisting of 2,5 thousands of troops, was transferred to the Tajik-Afghan border.
Bordyuzha highly appreciated the results of a sudden check. The transfer to Tajikistan of a military contingent was completed within three days. At the same time, the CSTO Secretary General acknowledged that the audit revealed a number of technical shortcomings, which will be eliminated in the future.
“We have tested the possibility of transit and the most important thing is the possibility of a quick collection for the organization of military actions. In parallel with the inspection, we conducted major anti-drug operations with the participation of representatives from China, Iran and Afghanistan. As a result, large quantities of hard drugs were seized, ”Bordyuzha reported.
The CSTO Secretary General noted that the best armed groups were assembled within the framework of the CRRF. “They are equipped, well armed and prepared and today have the opportunity to act together. A sudden test showed that the rapid reaction forces had already crossed the line when there was a need for direct coordination of the groups to action, ”Bordyuzha summed up.
In the opinion of the CSTO Secretary General, those forces that are united under the Collective Security Treaty are “enough to respond to any challenges.” “The CSTO has a multifunctional potential that can be used to counter challenges of any scale,” Bordyuzha added.
The heads of the CSTO member states visited the National Center for Defense Management of the Russian Federation. Photo: Aleksey Druzhinin / TASS
CSTO vs "Islamic State"
The activities of the IG cause great concern among the CSTO member countries. The organization sees a direct threat in two aspects: the revitalization of supporters of the “Islamic state” in Afghanistan and recruiting people from the CSTO countries into the ranks of terrorists.
Nikolai Bordyuzha believes that Western countries have created fertile ground for the development of IG, having refused to cooperate with Russia in the sphere of antiterror because of the “Ukrainian factor”. In this regard, even the affluent countries of Europe suffer, as their citizens also go to Iraq and Syria.
The CSTO Secretary General stressed that an important role in recruiting "recruits" for the "Islamic State" is played by information technologies, which the terrorists have perfectly mastered. "Social networks allow you to promote radical ideas and go to a specific person," he explained.
Speaking about the number of recruited citizens of the CSTO countries, Bordyuzha noted that the exact number of those who left for Syria and Iraq cannot be named: “There are very conditional statistics. According to Kyrgyzstan, 382 people have joined the ranks of the IG. According to media reports, there are about 2 thousand people in Russia. ”
Summarizing the data, the CSTO Secretary General stated that several thousand people from the CSTO countries undergo military training in Syria and Iraq. “A large force is being formed that can be used to destabilize the situation,” warned Bordyuzha.
NATO is not a friend to us
The Collective Security Treaty Organization is sometimes called the equivalent of NATO. This, of course, is an unnecessarily exaggerated comparison, but the CSTO is actively modernizing and, in its configuration, more closely resembles the Warsaw Pact Organization.
Answering journalists' questions, Nikolai Bordyuzha stated the reluctance of the North Atlantic alliance to establish contacts with the CSTO. “We do not have a dialogue with NATO and have never had it. Because NATO did not consider it necessary to interact with our organization, even when the alliance was bad in Afghanistan. The dialogue has never been conducted, although the proposals from our side have been received, ”the CSTO Secretary General said.
“We do not welcome NATO exercises and understand why they are being held. In our opinion, these are steps aimed at exacerbating the situation, ”Bordyuzha commented on the current alliance exercises in Eastern Europe.
The Secretary General called provocations "all NATO statements, especially representatives of the Baltic countries, about the allegedly existing plans of Russia's attack on the Baltic republics."
“This is nothing but a speculative action aimed at obtaining additional privileges and dividends. In fact, this is a form of extortion of certain types of weapons with a security sauce, ”added Bordyuzha.
Border under the gun
Considering the buildup of IS groups at the borders with the states of Central Asia, the CSTO pays great attention to the situation on the Tajik-Afghan border. That is why the collective rapid reaction force was deployed to the south of the republic as part of a surprise check.
Nikolay Bordyuzha answered negatively to the question of the observer of the “Russian Planet” about the need to deploy the permanent group of the CSTO troops on the Tajik-Afghan border. He recalled that 201-I Russian military base is deployed in the republic.
“This is the base of the divisional staff. It is armed with modern technology. Russian servicemen are ready at any time to assist the national armed forces or border troops of Tajikistan, ”the CSTO Secretary General assured.
Bordyuzha stressed that the leadership of Tajikistan is closely following developments in Afghanistan. “The authorities of the republic have created a second echelon of state border defense from fortifications. Today, they are engaged not only in the training of servicemen, but also in organizing troop cover by the territorial defense forces, ”he said.
Where will the CSTO develop?
In the near future, the CSTO plans to conduct peacekeeping exercises called “The Indestructible Brotherhood” this autumn in Armenia. However, to address security issues in the CSTO countries, it is not enough to improve the military infrastructure alone. The geopolitical situation in the CIS depends on the processes taking place outside it.
Nikolai Bordyuzha focused on the fact that the CSTO establishes contacts with such important players as Iran and China. The organization is experiencing difficulties in cooperation with the leadership of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Nevertheless, the CSTO Secretary General assured that "all this together allows us to control the situation."
Information