Itar-Tass
01-JAN-98
MOSCOW–January 1 (Itar-Tass) – Armenia–Georgia–Kirghizia and Uzbekistan are expected to enter on combat duty in the CIS united air defence system in 1998–a source in the press service of Coordination Staff of Commonwealth of Independent States Military Cooperation told Tass on Thursday.
The four states’ initial form of cooperation will include information exchanges about the situation in air space–the source said.
Russia and Byelorussia have been protecting air space together since April–1996–and Russia and Kazakhstan since May–1996.
Besides–Moscow and Minsk are setting up a joint air-defence unit in the context of the Russian-Byelorussian Union and the CIS united air-defence system.
The united air defence system concept stipulates that air defence forces will be set up in Tajikistan in 1998–and a CIS combat duty united system is expected to be created from 1999 to 2005.
Azerbaijan and Moldavia are the only CIS members who are not involved in the united air defence system.