CIS Secretariat: Rumors on Commonwealth collapse are exaggerated

PanARMENIAN.Net - Rumors on CIS collapse are strongly exaggerated. Commonwealth develops dynamically, and key issue today is the creation of joint armed forces, Alexander Sinaysky, Secretary of CIS Council of Defense Ministers, told journalists Monday. "Military cooperation within Commonwealth will develop. The principal issue at the current stage is the creation of joint armed forces," he noted.



"CIS will not die. It's a normal regional organization created in certain political conditions. Considering present-day circumstance, it is simply changing its predestination," Sinaysky said.



"Currently we are facing more and more problems. These include not only political and economic but also security challenges," he added.



CIS countries are not isolated, confirmed Valery Yevnevich, Chief of the Russian Armed Forces' Main Combat Training and Service Department.



«Our joint task consists in protecting states, and the contest which started today is a confirmation of that,» Yevnovich stated.

«First Guy» contest started Monday in Alabino, Moscow area. By the decision of CIS Defense Ministers, it has been granted the status of international contest. Participants represent 8 countries: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Moldova, Ukraine and Russia. Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan refused participate with economic considerations, RIA Novosti reports.