. Space Travel News .




.
SUPERPOWERS
Russia-led alliance limits foreign bases
by Staff Writers
Moscow (UPI) Dec 22, 2011

disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only

The seven member nations of a Russia-led military alliance this week agreed to rules limiting the presence of foreign military bases within their borders.

In what was seen as a blunt message to NATO and its efforts to deploy a European anti-ballistic missile defense system, the seven nations comprising the Collective Security Treaty Organization declared Tuesday at a Moscow summit that no members can agree to host a foreign military installation without the consent of the others.

The CSTO, comprised of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, issued a strong statement laying out the new rule.

"The unilateral deployment of strategic missile defense systems by one state or a group of states without due account for the lawful interests of other countries and without extending legally binding guarantees to the latter may damage international security and strategic stability in Europe and the world as a whole," the CSTO statement said.

Currently, the only foreign base in the CSTO countries is a U.S. air base at Manas in Kyrgyzstan, established in 2001 to help U.S. efforts in fighting Taliban extremists in neighboring Afghanistan.

But in the wake of tensions between Russia and the western NATO alliance over the missile defense plans and the conflict in Libya, the CSTO said action was necessary to counter "the … tendency for military intervention in critical situations."

"Now, in order to accommodate extra-regional military structures on the territory of the CSTO, it will be necessary to obtain official approval of all (CSTO) members," Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti after the summit.

Nazarbayev took over the rotating presidency of the CSTO from Belarus this year while it marked the 20th anniversary of the treaty that led to its founding.

State-owned RT Television reported Russian President Dmitry Medvedev praised the move against foreign military bases as necessary to consolidate the positions of the organization's members.

"I believe it is very important that all the parties have reached consensus," he said.

The CSTO summit also concentrated on Afghanistan, where the NATO-led Afghanistan International Security Assistance Force continues to battle the Taliban for control of the country 10 years after Sept. 11, 2011, terrorist attacks.

Amid signs of a deepening sectarian strife in the country, the statement noted what it called "the deteriorating situation in the Afghanistan" and called for the rebuilding of the country as a "peaceful, prosperous, independent and neutral state."

The Kremlin has said Afghanistan should be regarded as a neutral nation once ISAF's mission is completed in 2014.

Fighting drug trafficking from the war-torn country is a necessary part of ensuring its future, the CSTO nations have said.

A one-week CSTO-led effort this month led to the seizure of about 16 tons of Afghan drugs within the seven-country bloc, ITAR-Tass reported. Included the in haul as part of the "Channel-2011" operation were more than 1,100 pounds of heroin, 286 pounds of cocaine and 9 tons of opium.

Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com




.
.
Get Our Free Newsletters Via Email
...
Buy Advertising Editorial Enquiries






.

. Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle



SUPERPOWERS
Japan coastguard arrests Chinese fisherman
Tokyo (AFP) Dec 20, 2011
Japan's coastguard said Tuesday it had arrested a Chinese boat captain in a possible fresh test for sometimes fraught maritime relations, just days after a South Korean officer was stabbed to death at sea. A coastguard vessel pursued the fisherman's 130-tonne boat for over six hours after it was spotted lowering ropes into the water around four kilometres (2.5 miles) off islands in Nagasaki, ... read more


SUPERPOWERS
Next ESA Astronaut Ready For Launch As Soyuz Rolls Out

Acra Control Proven in Low Earth Orbit

Vega moves closer to its first liftoff

Arianespace Signs First launch contracts for Vega

SUPERPOWERS
Meteorite Shock Waves Trigger Dust Avalanches on Mars

Opportunity at One of its Two Winter Spots

Scientists find microbes in lava tube living in conditions like those on Mars

MARSIS Completes Measurement Campaign Over Martian North Pole

SUPERPOWERS
Peres promotes Israeli moon probe

Hundreds of NASA's moon rocks missing: audit

Schafer Corp Signs Licensing Agreement with MoonDust Technologies

Russia wants to focus on Moon if Mars mission fails

SUPERPOWERS
SwRI researchers discover new evidence for complex molecules on Pluto's surface

New Horizons Becomes Closest Spacecraft to Approach Pluto

Pluto's Hidden Ocean

Is the Pluto System Dangerous?

SUPERPOWERS
NASA Discovers First Earth-size Planets Beyond Our Solar System

First Earth-sized planets found

Earth-sized worlds spotted in new advance for exoplanets

Giant Super-Earths Made Of Diamond Are Possible

SUPERPOWERS
NASA Takes Next Step In Developing Commercial Crew Program

Industry Leaders Discuss New Booster Development for Space Launch System

NASA Concludes 2011 Testing of J-2X Engine

Russia space agency 'bans foreign travel'

SUPERPOWERS
Tiangong-1 orbiter starts planned cabin checks against toxic gas

China celebrates success of space docking mission

Two and a Half Men for Shenzhou

China honors its 'father' of space efforts

SUPERPOWERS
Comet Lovejoy Plunges into the Sun and Survives

Using many instruments to track a comet

NASA Developing Comet Harpoon for Sample Return

NASA at work on 'spearfishing' for comets


.

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2012 - Space Media Network. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement