CSTO EXERCISE DUE IN APRIL IN TAJIKISTAN

MOSCOW, November 29 (RIA Novosti) - In April 2005 an exercise of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (it is made up of Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan) will be held in Tajikistan using the Russian air bases in Kant (Kyrgyzstan) and Dushanbe (Tajikistan), Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said at a conference of the president with government members.

He also said that at the CIS defense ministerial conference "all the ministers agreed to hold in 2005 a drill involving air defense crews and fighter aviation."

Sergei Ivanov informed the head of state about the coming into force of a mechanism for arms supply to CSTO countries at domestic prices.

In addition, in 2005 Russia will for free train and provide for CSTO servicemen arriving in Russia. Such funds are provided for in the 2005 budget.

He recalled that defense ministers of the CIS adopted a program and a plan for promoting cooperation until 2010. "One form of such cooperation is a united air defense system," Sergei Ivanov said.

"The CIS and CSTO defense ministers agreed to interact in assessing the radiological, biological and chemical threat," he added. To him, it is due to the existence of such production in actually every CIS country.