By Country / Russia
Russian, Uzbek Forces Begin Joint Counterterror Drill
September 19, 2006
Uzbekistan's Islam Karimov and Russia's Vladimir Putin was become much closer in the last year (epa)
The joint military exercise was scheduled to begin today and it will end on September 23.
Russia and Uzbekistan are both members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a regional grouping that also includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
But, as CSTO spokesman Vitaly Strugovets told RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, the present drill is not being conducted under the aegis of the organization.
"The exercise is taking place on a bilateral basis," Strugovets said. "Therefore, it has nothing to do directly with the CSTO. Yet, it shows that Russia and Uzbekistan are really becoming allies, including in the military sphere."
The manoeuver involves Russian special units and airborne troops stationed in the Northern Caucasus Military District.
The Russian and Uzbek defense ministers, Sergei Ivanov and Ruslan Mirzaev, respectively, are expected to personally monitor the drill.
(with RIA Novosti and Interfax-AVN)