Russia-led Anti-NATO Defence Bloc To Enhance Air Defence

Defence ministers of the Russia-led Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a military grouping perceived as anti-NATO will hold an exercise in 2018 to enhance its combined air defence system.

As discussed in the CIS Defence Ministers Council’s session held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on October 12, the Regional Security 2018 computer command post exercise and other events are aimed to improve combat potential of the Joint CIS AD System, the ministry said in a statement.

The 73th session of the CIS Defence Ministers Council was attended by defence ministries’ delegations from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

According to the agenda, the session considered a number of issues regarding multilateral cooperation on defence and security. The heads of defence departments exchanged views on military and political situation on the CIS southern border and its impact on security in Central Asia.

The defence ministers have acknowledged cooperation on information support as essential to be developed. The session decided to establish a Coordinating Committee on information support for CIS defence ministries and adopted Regulations on it.

The decisions taken in course of the session are to improve multilateral CIS military cooperation, and will facilitate development of mutually beneficial partnership in military sphere.