Military exercises of CSTO, which were to be held on the territory of Kyrgyzstan, have been postponed. This was announced by Marat Imankulov, secretary of the Kyrgyz Security Council, the media headquarters of the republic's government reported on Thursday.
"We have postponed them (exercises). They were 99.9% prepared. After the cancellation of the exercises, people write in social networks that by doing so we reject the CSTO. It is not the case. We need the CSTO very much. It provides a complete guarantee against terrorist threats and meets the interests of our country's national security. Some forces in social networks are trying to pit us against CSTO members. They will not succeed. We do not have any contradictions," the media headquarters quoted Imankulov as saying.
The secretary of the Security Council assured that the CSTO leaders "understood Kyrgyzstan's decision to postpone the October exercises in Issyk-Kul."
The CSTO exercise " Indestructible Brotherhood 2022" was supposed to take place from October 10 to 14 at the Edelweiss training range in the Issyk-Kul region of Kyrgyzstan. However, a few days before the event Bishkek refused to hold it. As Edil Baisalov, deputy chairman of the republic's cabinet, later explained, the decision was made in connection with the recent armed conflict on the border of the republic with Tajikistan, which is also a member of the CSTO. "We have no problems with this organization, with the mandate, with the mission, with the charter - no problems at all," he explained. However, Baisalov continued, at the moment, "the blood is still warm."
The situation on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border escalated September 14. According to the Kyrgyz side, Tajik border guards entered the border area near Bulak-Bashy, Batken district, Batken province, Kyrgyzstan, and "took up combat positions." In response to their demand to leave the area, the Tajik border guards opened fire, followed by an exchange of fire. On September 17, the Kyrgyz border guard reported the shelling in the Osh region, and on September 19, the heads of the two countries' national security committees signed a protocol for withdrawal of troops from the border and establishment of peace. On the Kyrgyz side, 62 people were killed and about 200 wounded as a result of the conflict.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS