DUSHANBE - Joint military exercises between Russia and several ex-Soviet republics, which were due to take place in Kyrgyzstan next week, have been postponed for a week and moved to neighboring Tajikistan, officials said here Saturday.
The exercises were due to take place on March 29 in Kyrgyzstan between the members of a collective security cooperation treaty that was signed in 1992 by Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
"Because of events in Kyrgyzstan, the training will take place on April 2 in Tajikistan," an official at Tajikistan's defense ministry said.
The security treaty calls for a united effort by its members in the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime.
Kyrgyzstan's veteran Soviet-era regime was toppled on Thursday after thousands of opposition supporters overran the Central Asian nation's main seat of power.
03/26/2005 11:10 GMT