Bishkek, 10 October 2001 (RFE/RL) -- Russian Security Council Secretary Vladimir Rushailo met this morning in Bishkek with Kyrgyz President Askar Akaev for talks that focused on Central Asian security and joint measures against terrorism. Rushailo told reporters after the meeting that collective rapid deployment forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States should be reinforced if the security situation in Central Asia deteriorates as a result of U.S.-led military strikes in Afghanistan.
He said CIS military experts have already arrived in Kyrgyzstan ahead of an exercise of the CIS collective force that is due to start during the next few days. Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan are signatories of the Collective Security Treaty.
Rushailo said he and Akaev also have resolved most of the funding issues for enlarging the Bishkek branch of a joint Antiterrorist Center. He said the center's main task for now is to monitor the situation in Afghanistan.
He said CIS military experts have already arrived in Kyrgyzstan ahead of an exercise of the CIS collective force that is due to start during the next few days. Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan are signatories of the Collective Security Treaty.
Rushailo said he and Akaev also have resolved most of the funding issues for enlarging the Bishkek branch of a joint Antiterrorist Center. He said the center's main task for now is to monitor the situation in Afghanistan.