"It is planned to discuss the course of realization of the Concept of [CIS] military cooperation until 2020, to work out a joint plan for 2017 and discuss the draft concept of aerospace defense of the CIS member states," the statement read.
According to the ministry, a number of decisions related to the work of joint military systems of the CIS countries is expected top be taken jointly by defense departments and bodies of the Council following the Council meeting. In particular, they will be linked with the development of the joint air defense system, the interaction of state secret protection services, cooperation on monitoring chemical and biological environment, among others.
The military cooperation concept was adopted in October 2015 at a CIS summit in Kazakhstan. Then, the sides agreed to cooperate on strengthening security on the external borders for 2016-2020, and decided to set up agencies to address the security situation and possible crises on the external borders.
The CIS is a regional organization formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union, whose participating countries are some former Soviet Republics — Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
