Session of CSTO Collective Security Council

The Collective Security Treaty Organization needs stronger military force and crisis response mechanisms. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement at the plenary session of the CSTO Collective Security Council in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on 15 September.

The Belarusian head of state noted that some components of the military force will have to be reinforced in the near future. To be exact, decisions will be made with regard to the regional air defense systems and the peacekeeping forces.

“At present as we plan the future operation of the organization, we should bear in mind the available resources. We have to set extremely specific goals resulting from a real evaluation of foreign and domestic threats,” stressed the Belarusian leader.

According to the Belarus President, by accelerating the work on the Collective Security Strategy the CSTO will be able to ensure the development of common views on the protection of its interests. “The introduction of common standards for defense products, the equipment of CSTO military contingents with unified armaments and materiel will allow greatly bolstering the organization’s military potential,” said the Belarusian head of state. He noted with regret that lately “we’ve been talking a lot but have done little”. Aleksandr Lukashenko said he believes that the heads of state should honor their commitments in this field, particularly those relating to equipment.

The Belarus President emphasized that sophisticated diplomatic measures are also necessary. In his words, expanding interaction with leading regional and international security bodies should be one of the ways to enhance the CSTO’s potential as a respected organization, one of the ways to raise the level of trust and reduce tensions in the region and the world.

The Belarusian head of state pointed out that this year the work aimed at coordinating the organization’s foreign policy efforts has been rather effectively continued, primarily with regard to the operation of the Foreign Ministers Council. Apart from that, the deployment of the collective rapid response forces has been worked out. Military aid in the form of materiel and other resources has been provided to allies. Procedures for the joint counteraction of new challenges and threats are getting more attention at the interstate level.

During the narrow-format meeting the presidents discussed the most important aspects of the CSTO’s development and fine-tuned future plans.

“We have agreed to revise our statutory documents and optimize the organization in the near future. It is to be done because of the aggravating situation near the borders of the Collective Security Treaty Organization member states. It means that this organization comes to the forefront in the post-Soviet space,” the Belarusian President said.

According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, all member states have to deal with common risks and threats. “A growing level of extremism, the influence of international terrorist groups arouse concern. Today we face the escalation of tension in the zones of continuing conflicts, open warfare and the emergence of new hotbeds of instability, including in the vicinity of our borders. As a result, people are dying, states are deteriorating, people grow poor, the unprecedented flows of refugees and illegal migrants are flooding other countries,” the Belarusian leader said.

The Belarus President wished success to Armenia, which is taking over the presidency in the organization. He confirmed Belarus’ dedication to goals and principles of the Collective Security Treaty. “We are ready to continue cooperation with the member states for the sake of developing allied relations in all the spheres relevant for international and regional security,” stressed the Belarusian leader.

The agenda of the meeting included more than 15 issues. The heads of state discussed the readiness of military contingents of the CSTO collective rapid response forces. The heads of state also discussed a number of organizational issues and sign documents.

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko also took part in the official dinner for the participants of the CSTO Collective Security Council session on behalf of Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon.