YEREVAN. – Holding of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Collective Rapid Reaction Force’s (CSTO CRRF) “Cooperation 2012” military exercises in Armenia has no connection with the situation in the region, CSTO Joint Staff Department Chief, Major General Anatoly Yakovlev stated during a press conference on Saturday. 

In his words, these maneuvers were planned to be conducted in the year past, but they were rescheduled.

These military drills aim to raise the combat-readiness of each member country and, at the same time, to coordinate operations by the CSTO CRRF divisions.    

“The adversary is provisional, so as not to link with any country, [and to] cause problems,” Yakovlev noted. 

To the query as to how much time will be needed for CSTO CRRF to commence operations in the case of a real threat, the General stated that in each case the operations will depend on the given situation.

“The country’s leadership reaches a decision. Starting quickly depends on the number of divisions taking part in the operations,” Anatoly Yakovlev noted.