BISHKEK, June 30. /TASS/. The second round of negotiations between representatives of the defense ministries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan that focused on the discussion of the plan of the Rubezh 2016 (Frontier 2016) upcoming joint military exercises of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Kyrgyzstan, ended in Bishkek on Thursday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Kyrgyzstan reported.

"The second round of the staff talks on the preparation of joint tactical exercises of the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces of the CSTO Central Asian region ended with the signing of the final protocol", the statement says.

According to the Kyrgyz General Staff, the military experts "considered the preliminary plan of the manoeuvers, issues of ensuring comprehensive support, discussed the practical plan of action." "They also inspected the area and infrastructure of the upcoming military drills and the quarters of the military contingents of the Rubezh 2016 exercise participating states," the document says.

"Joint exercises within the CSTO framework demonstrate the organization’s possibilities to neutralize security threats and challenges, as well as counteract destabilization in its area of ··responsibility," Chief of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of Kyrgyzstan Anarbek Abdyrakhmanov said during the talks. According to him, the upcoming military exercise is an "important event", as the region has been recently facing the "escalation of tensions associated with the intensified activity of international terrorist organizations, the emergence of new conflict zones, including in the Eurasian space."

The Rubezh 2016 joint drills will be held in Kyrgyzstan from October 4 to 7 this year, with the participation of troops from Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, as well as units of the State Defense Committee, Ministry of Emergency Situations, Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State National Security Committee of Kyrgyzstan.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization is an intergovernmental military alliance. Among its fundamental objectives is combating international terrorism. The CSTO aims to strengthen the national and collective security of its members through military-political cooperation, coordinating foreign policy, and establishing cooperation mechanisms. Reportedly, the CSTO is undertaking an effort to develop relationships with the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the UN Security Council, the OSCE, and other security entities. The CSTO members are Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Belarus. Afghanistan and Serbia are observers of the CSTO.