DUSHANBE, February 8, Asia-Plus — “Uzbekistan’s joining the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will undoubtedly be a positive move,” Sayfullo Safarov, deputy director of the Center for Strategic Studies at the President of Tajikistan, said in his interview with Asia-Plus commenting on the CSTO secretary general Nikolay Bardyuzha visit’s to Tashkent.
“Firstly, it is of great importance for stability in the Central Asian region,” noted Safarov, “Secondly, it impossible to be the country of the region and to be without this organization.”
According to Safarov, Uzbekistan’s joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC) has been move towards joining the CSTO.
“Fortunately, the situation in the region has been stable and therefore we have not had urgent needs in association irrespective of foreign political orientations of different countries,” said the Asia-Plus interlocutor, “In other words, Uzbekistan’s accession to the CSTO guarantees tomorrow’s stability of the region.”
The Interfax news agency quoted Bardyuzha as saying, “Uzbekistan is considered as candidate for joining the CSTO and this issue will top the agenda of meeting in Tashkent.”
