Eurasian Integration Yearbook 2012

Natalia Maqsimchook. “Chronicle of EurasianRegional Integration 2011”2011: Data and ReviewsCentral Asian states create joint disaster response centreSeptember 12, 2011The Minister of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan VladimirBozhko, and the Minister of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz RepublicBolotbek Borbiyev have signed the Agreement on Establishing theIntergovernmental Central Asian Centre for Disaster Response and RiskReduction. Tajikistan’s State Committee for Emergency Situations and CivilDefence will sign the document later.The Centre will be headquartered in Almaty and its remit is to improve regionalcooperation and coordination in responding to disasters and reducing risk,thereby enhancing solidarity and improving the safety of people living in theCentral Asian region.The Centre will regularly assess regional risk and response to transborderemergencies. Information and communication systems will be establishedto ensure effective risk assessment. The real-time gathering, processing andanalysing of information will help monitor and prevent emergencies, andwill be vital in launching early warning systems. A decision has been takento create a data and geoinformation system to assess natural and man-madehazards to the population, infrastructure and geographic areas. All systems anddatabases will be integrated into international monitoring systems and networksfor natural and man-made disasters. The Centre will also hold internationalexercises, rescue missions and humanitarian operations in Central Asia and othercountries.It is anticipated that the Central Asian Centre for Disaster Response and RiskReduction will strengthen member states’ national platforms or other multidisciplinarymechanisms for reducing disaster risk in the region.Russia, Kazakhstan to set up joint air-defence systemSeptember 22, 2011Expert KazakhstanAccording to Colonel General Valery Gerasimov, deputy chief of the GeneralStaff of Russia’s Armed Forces, Russia and Kazakhstan are planning to set up ajoint air defence system in the near term.Russia already operates bilateral regional air defence systems with Belarus andArmenia and is planning a similar arrangement with Kazakhstan. Gerasimovnoted that a bilateral air defence system with Kazakhstan could be created “inthe nearest future”. At present Kazakhstan’s air defence system is part of theJoint CIS Air Defence System.Expert OnlineEurasian Development Bank293