BISHKEK, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russia-led military alliance, started the Interaction-2018 military drills in Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday, the General Staff of the Kyrgyz Armed Forces said.
The five-day exercises will involve representatives of all the CSTO member states, the CSTO Joint Staff, the CSTO Secretariat, and the command of the organization's Collective Rapid Reaction Force.
Formed in 1992, the CSTO groups six former Soviet republics of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
The CSTO Charter stipulates the pledge of all member states to abstain from using force and joining other military alliances. Aggression against one signatory state would be perceived as an aggression against all.
The alliance holds annual military command exercises to improve intra-organization cooperation.
