The balance of forces and consideration of mutual interests are the natural foundation of any security system. Defense Minister of Kazakhstan Adilbek Dzhaksybekov talks about the role of the SCO and CSTO in its building, about military and technical cooperation between Russia and Kazakhstan and about today’s Day of the Kazakh Military.

Our fathers and grandfathers that fought together in World War II laid the foundation for the comradeship of the Russian and Kazakh military…

On May 7, Kazakhstan celebrates the Day of Fatherland’s Defender, and on May 9, the Victory Day. Symbolically, these two holidays are close, like Kazakhstan and Russia have been and will always be. The 65th anniversary of the Victory in World War II is of huge importance for us. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has said in this context, “We must demonstrate that there should be no reconsidering of the results of the war, when our fathers and grandfathers laid down their lives for our independence, for all of us.” Out of 6.2 million people that lived in Kazakhstan in 1941, 1.2 million were drafted. A majority of them went to the army as reinforcement, and about one third went to formations and units that were set up in the republic. These were 12 rifle and four cavalry divisions, seven rifle brigades and about 50 separate regiments and battalions. Three cavalry divisions and two rifle brigades were set up as Kazakh national formations. Out of those who went to the front, every second person was killed! As many as 497 people were awarded the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union.

Muscovites will never forget the heroic deed of the soldiers and offices from General Panfilov’s division that defended the capital. Their deed will remain a legend…

I am very glad that recently the name of one of Panfilov’s warriors, Hero of the Soviet Union Bauyrzhan Momyshula has been given to Moscow school No. 229. Under Rzhev, where the 100th and 101st separate Kazakh national rifle brigades fought, a monument to our fellow countrymen is being erected. This is the little we can and must do to commemorate their deeds.

The tradition of military friendship is maintained by grandchildren of those who fought together in World War II. Our countries’ leaders have repeatedly pointed to the high level of Russian- Kazakh military and technical cooperation at their meetings.

Our relations are based on the principles of trust and maximum transparency. Kazakhstan is Russia’s key partner in Central Asia and has become the first country in the CIS to sign the agreement on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with Russia in May 1992. In the years that have passed, the law enforcement agencies of our countries have established strong ties, which include training of military personnel, joint use of military facilities, interaction in protecting external borders, military and technical, military and economic, and research cooperation, cooperation in space exploration. In order to practice joint action, we regularly organize exercise, both within the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and on the bilateral basis.

Last year, a new abbreviation emerged in the language of the military, diplomats and politicians, CRRF, the Collective Rapid Response Force…

The emergence of the CRR F was the logical result of the ideas the CSTO had been based on. Let me recall that the CSTO has existed since 2002. A year before that, it was decided to set up a Collective Rapid Response Force for the Central Asian region. Its goals were quite ambitious: to maintain international peace and security, to localize armed and border conflicts, to prevent terrorist attacks, to counteract drug trafficking, to manage the consequences of natural calamities and industrial accidents. But they were unable to do it efficiently. I think leaders of the CSTO member states were fully aware of these problems. Nevertheless, they were in no hurry to start the discussion. The issue was so delicate that many preferred the status quo to any changes.

Still, in December 2008, at an informal meeting of the presidents of Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan in Borovoye, the issue was raised.

It was the initiative of Nursultan Nazarbayev to set up the CRR F. It was supported by other heads of state. Dmitry Medvedev showed a special understanding. In this connection, I want to emphasize that Astana and Moscow have always correctly estimated the scale and nature of challenges we are facing today. Because of that, Kazakhstan and Russia demonstrate the most responsible approach to problems, trying first of all to ensure practical interaction in the military sphere. Since common interest and mutual understanding dominate the two countries’ relations, they inevitably resolve security issues together. In general, Kazakhstan and Russia again undertook the role of the engines of integration processes, as has often been the case.

They move with a different speed. But, judging by the speed of implementing the Kazakh president’s proposal, this time everyone understood the relevance of setting up the CRRF.

Exactly. Already in February 2009, at the CSTO summit, the general decision on setting up the Collective Rapid Response Force was taken. As Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said at the time, “it will be serious formations, of a sufficient size, with state-of-the-art equipment and efficient. Their combat potential should not be lower than that of the North Atlantic alliance.”

What forces will this comradeship in arms have in the end?

Well, we are nowhere near the end yet. The CRR F is a live and growing organism. The bulk of it will consist of the Russian military, an airborne division and an air assault brigade. Kazakhstan is represented by an air assault brigade, and other allies by a battalion each. Overall, the CRR F will have up to 20,000 servicemen from military formations equipped with compatible and cutting-edge weapons and equipment. These are the best units that have been tested in combat.

How does this strengthening of the military might correspond to reinforcing stability and security in the world, the main goal of Kazakhstan’s presidency in the OSCE?

The cannons of Frederick the Great bore the inscription, “The king’s last argument.” Sometimes, the high combat readiness of the troops is indeed the best argument in diplomats’ talks about preserving peace.

How ready are the Kazakh Armed Forces to use these arguments?

Last year, we completed shaping of the commanding structures of the troops. Today it is divided into three spheres of their deployment, land (the ground forces), air (the Air Force) and sea (the Navy). We have actually resolved one of the priority tasks, and that is strengthening of our combat ready units. Today, their manning level is 94% and equipment level is 100%. At the end of last year, foreign experts noted, “The Armed Forces of Kazakhstan is today one of the top three leading armies among post- Soviet republics and is definitely the best in Central Asia.”

In 2010, the armed forces of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s member states held an anti-terrorist command- staff exercise, Peace Mission 2010.

It took place in September in Kazakhstan. It was the third large-scale exercise within the organization. Similar maneuvers took place on the Taonan testing ground in northwest China in 2009, on the Chebarkulsky testing ground in Russia in 2007 and on the Shandong peninsula and in the Yellow Sea in China in 2005. The bulk of those exercises was conducted by the Russian and Chinese military and navy with participation of their tactical and strategic aviation. This time, Kazakh formations and units played an important part in the maneuvers. Russia, Kazakhstan and China each delegated 1,000 servicemen for taking part in the exercise.

The troops practices waging war in the Central Asian theater of operations, in the desert and mountainous desert. The joint exercise involved army, front-line and transport aviation. Russian and Chinese army aviation was deployed at the Kazakh aerodrome Atar. Russia’s frontline and transport aviation was deployed at the Russian military base Kant, while Chinese front-line and transport aviation fulfilled their tasks from a Chinese aerodrome.

What tasks were set for the participants of Peace Mission 2010?

The idea of the joint anti-terrorist command- staff exercise of the SCO member states came from a potential variant of an armed conflict. The task of carrying out a joint anti-terrorist operation was given to a united group of troops within the tactic forces from each SCO member. A factitious military and political situation allowed the participants’ Armed Forces to coordinate in practice all mechanisms of acting in potential conflicts. This accelerated taking a SCO decision on providing practical aid by the organization’s member states.