Russia looks for security boost

Putin will meet the five leaders

YEREVAN, Russia -- Leaders from Russia and five former Soviet republics are considering plans for a regional rapid reaction force.

The countries are seeking ways to avert what they say is a threat from Islamic extremism and drug smuggling in Central Asia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet the leaders of Belarus, Armenia and the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan for a two-day summit starting on Thursday.

They are due to discuss the creation of a regional rapid reaction force, Valery Nikolaienko, secretary-general of the security body, told reporters.

The six countries are signatories of a 1992 treaty on collective security loosely tied to the Commonwealth of Independent States, a wider 12-member post-Soviet grouping.

"The upcoming summit will be special in the history of our organisation because we will make concrete decisions about the creation of a rapid reaction force," he said.

The security situation in Central Asia was "very threatening" due to the risk of Islamic extremism, he added.

Kyrgyz Defence Minister Esen Topoyev said the force's headquarters would be in his country's capital city.

It would be formed from battalions from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Russia under a Russian commander, Reuters news agency said.

The security grouping initially consisted of nine members, but Azerbaijan, Georgia and Uzbekistan withdrew, saying it was ineffective and too strongly dominated by Russia.

With the military success of the radical Taleban in neighbouring Afghanistan, Central Asian states, including Uzbekistan and Krygyzstan, have sought stronger security co-operation.

Russia has also used fears of Islamic extremism to justify its military campaign in Chechnya, saying rebels there were trying to form a Muslim state.

It has highlighted what it calls an arc of extremism, including Afghanistan, Kosovo and Chechnya, Reuters said.