CIS countries defence ministers approve joint air defence plan for 2014

    During a meeting held on Thursday in Moscow, the CIS Council of Defence Ministers summarised the results of activities held in 2013 and approved a schedule for next year, Russian Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu told journalists, ITAR -TASS reported on Nov. 21.
    "Particular significance was attached to the improvement of joint military systems," the minister said.
    According to Shoigu, the meeting participants approved the Joint CIS Air Defence System's operations plan for 2014.
    The meeting also set out the measures for the development and improvement of joint monitoring and evaluation of radiation, chemical and biological conditions. Also the 'Parol' (Password) unified system for state radar identification the information exchange system for aviation security issues and the interaction mechanisms for engineering troops and military meteorologists.
    Shoigu said the ministers decided to organise the training in counter-terrorism jointly with the security and special services of CIS countries.
    It was also decided to hold the All-Army Cadets Olympics and Commonwealth Games of Friendly Armies as a part of the development of humanitarian cooperation in 2014.
    Shoigu added he had bilateral substantial and productive meetings with the defence ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
    The meetings reviewed military and military-technical cooperation issues.
    Upon completion of the meeting, Shoigu handed the sign for strengthening military cooperation to the chairman of coordination service of the Council of Commanders-in-Chief of Frontier Troops, Colonel General, Alexander Manilov and head of the CIS Anti-Terrorism Centre, Police Colonel-General, Andrei Novikov, Trend states.