Russian troops in Kyrgyzstan to be merged to form one base

MOSCOW, December 15 (Itar-Tass) - Russia and Kyrgyzstan are planning
the merger of Russian troops in Kyrgyz territory into one military base,
the Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation
(CSTO), Nikolai Bordyuzha, told reporters on Tuesday.
"Russia and Kyrgyzstan are working on a package of military
cooperation agreements," he said. " Under the proposed plans all Russian
military facilities based in Kyrgyzstan are to be united to form one
base," Bordyuzha said.
According to the CSTO secretary-general, it is also planned to open a
mountain warfare training center.
"The CSTO does not plan to have more military bases in other CSTO
countries," Bordyuzha said. "We have the collective rapid reaction force
(CRRF), which is capable of operating independently in CSTO countries'
territories.
According to Bordyuzha, Uzbekistan actively participates in forming
the CRRF, but it has not signed the agreement on their creation yet or
delegated its military contingent so far.
The CSTO secretary-general recalled that Uzbek President Islam Karimov
had backed the political decision to form the CRRF.
The decision to create the CRRF was adopted at the special session of
the Collective Security Council by leaders of CSTO countries Armenia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on
February 4 .
Five CSTO countries put their signatures to the CPRF agreement in
Moscow on June 14. Belarus joined in on October 20. Uzbekistan has not
done so yet.

-0-gor/str