A summit marking the Collective Security Treaty Organization's (CSTO) 30th anniversary took place in Moscow on May 16. The meeting was also attended by Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon.
Speaking at the summit, Tajik leader noted that Tajikistan intends to continue to actively contribute to ensuring common security in the CSTO area of responsibility.
According to him, anniversaries are a good opportunity to conceptualize the course that the Organization has travelled and “determine prospects for further interaction to strengthen collective security, taking into account new realities.”
“Over the past period, the CSTO has established itself as an important factor of strengthening peace and providing regional security and stability… We have created an extensive contractual and legal foundation, necessary working and coordinating bodies, as well as mechanisms aimed at solving the problems facing the Organization,” Tajik leader said.
He said command-and-staff drills and military exercises conducted on an ongoing basis and “measures on equipping the collective security system forces with modern types of weapons and military technology contribute to maintaining a high degree of combat readiness, mobility, training and skills of command and personnel on the joint solution of common problems.”
Rahmon further noted that the CSTO today is an important platform for equal dialogue and cooperation between member nations in all three dimensions: political cooperation; military cooperation; and joint efforts to address modern challenges and threats.
Meanwhile Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko urged CSTO member nations to stand united and accused the West of hoping to prolong the conflict in Ukraine to try to weaken Russia as much as possible.
The Belarusian president noted that "hellish sanctions" against his country and Russia could have been avoided if the group had spoken with one voice.
"Stronger political cooperation and coordination by the CSTO member nations, the effectiveness of the mechanism of foreign policy and security consultations must be increased. We should speak out on behalf of the CSTO on international platforms more often to make the organization’s voice and stance well-heard and seen. There must be a common voice and a common stance, the way they are in the West," he said.
"Without a united front, the collective West will build up pressure on the post-Soviet space," Lukashenko added.
