#7 - RW 262
gazeta.ru
June 19, 2003
Russian military moves closer to home
By Maria Tsvetkova

Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov has announced the decision to mount a Russian military presence in other countries and in near-earth orbit. The statement was made as Russian peacekeepers complete their withdrawal from the Balkans.

Sergei Ivanov made the statement on Russian military presence abroad yesterday, saying that, contrary to some expectations, the country intends to set up several military bases on foreign territory. ''We have plans to found new military bases abroad, including in Kyrgyzstan,'' the Interfax news agency cited the minister as saying.

At first glance, the statement contradicts the Kremlin's policy of closing military bases on foreign territory, the legacy of the Soviet Union's dominance in the socialist world.

The closures are mostly dictated by economic reasons. Over the past few years Russia has shut down the Lourdes Radar base in Cuba, which cost the Russian budget millions of dollars every year, as well as withdrawing from the Kahm-Rahn navy base in Vietnam. The last of the combat equipment is being withdrawn from the Gudauta base in Abkhazia. Sooner or later, the Russian authorities will have to heed international agreements and remove their troops from Batumi and Akhalkalaki as well, as Georgia demands.

Russia's military presence only remains significant in Central Asia where it has the 201st motorised division stationed in Tajikistan (recently upgraded to the military base status) and the Kant airfield in Kyrgyzstan. The defence minister mentioned the latter in his address -- it will become a full Air Force base by the end of the year. This move was caused partially by recent agreements reached within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) -- the only bloc that unites Russian and Chinese military interests. Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek has been chosen as the SCO's counter-terrorist headquarters.

However, even if Russia opens new bases, they are hardly likely to be outside the CIS. Most probably this is what the minister meant when he spoke about new bases. The remote bases -- the expensive military objects on other continents -- will be replaced by closer and cheaper bases in ex-Soviet republics. ''We are driven, first of all, by interests of national security,'' the minister said before reminding his audience that at present there is a Russian military presence in nearly all countries of the Commonwealth, suggesting little need for new bases.

Russia is also not planning to send more peacekeepers abroad after troops are withdrawn from the territory of the former Yugoslav Federation. Ivanov assured that keeping forces in Bosnia and Kosovo was no longer necessary. ''The withdrawal of our peacekeepers from the Balkans does not mean that we have lost any interest in this region -- we will be present in the Balkans as part of the police force and act in the region' interests through diplomatic means,'' the minister noted. ''The reinforcement of stability in the Balkans currently depends more on the police forces rather than the military,'' he added.

As for the Iraq and Afghan operations, initiated by the US, Ivanov said that Russian peacekeepers would not take part in them. ''I cannot imagine Russian servicemen participating in carrying out the peacekeeping functions in Iraq,'' Ivanov said before giving a clear hint at the illegitimacy of the Iraqi war -- ''Russia sends out its peacekeepers only if a corresponding UN mandate is issued.'' In Afghanistan' case, Russia' position is not so rigid --he minister said Moscow would provide some assistance to NATO peacekeepers, but not personnel. ''Russian soldiers will not set foot on Afghan soil,'' Ivanov stated categorically.

Apart from military activities abroad, the minister touched on Russia' military expansion into space. Ivanov said 35 launches aimed at reinforcing the orbital group were scheduled for this year and eight had already been carried out. ''There are about 100 spacecraft in the Russian orbital group both of military and dual purpose. By 2006-2008, according to our information, up to 50 percent of the spacecraft in the group will be of a dual purpose,'' he said.

Most likely, the minister' overtly patriotic statement was aimed at softening the negative effect of the ongoing retreat from the Balkans. In military terms, one could say that Ivanov's words of military bases and space expansion were a distracting maneuver.

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