Several CIS member-countries are engaged in setting up three joint regional air defense structures as part of the Commonwealth air defense system - East European, Caucasus and Central Asian, participants in a session of the Coordinating Committee of the CIS Defense Ministers' Council in Astrakhan told journalists on Wednesday.
Technical negotiations are currently underway on an agreement
dealing with a common air defense system in the East European region,
which is being created by Moscow and Minsk, said Maj. Gen. Igor
Azarenok, commander of the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense Force.
“A routine package of organizational documents is being drafted.
They are needed for the ratification of this agreement by our
countries,” Azarenok said.
This issue is being tackled “in compliance with appropriate
decisions taken by the heads of our states,” Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin,
Russian Air Force commander, said.
Finishing touches are being put to a draft agreement on a Caucasus
air defense structure, which will include Russia and Armenia, in order
to set out “clear principles of air defense forces’ use and command,”
Col. Nikolai Babayn, chief of Armenia’s Air Defense Force, said.
A working group has been formed to discuss the creation of a joint
Central Asian regional air defense system, which will involve Russia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Maj. Gen. Okas Saparov, deputy
commander of Kazakhstan’s Air Defense Force, said.
