Troops from six member-states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) have started joint military exercises in Kyrgyzstan.
Military units from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan launched the "Enduring Brotherhood - 2014" maneuvers in the city of Tokmok, 60 kilometers from the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, on July 29.
Speaking at the start of the drills, CSTO Secretary-General Nikolai Bordyuzha of Russia said the maneuvers' main goal was to "verify the abilities of the organization’s peacekeeping forces to counter terrorism."
Bordyuzha added that 700 troops are taking part in the exercises, which kicked off 11 days after the CSTO's Collective Rapid Deployment Force conducted a four-day drill in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region.
Those exercies included Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Russian, and Tajik troops.
With reporting from KyrTAG, Akipress and Interfax
