DUSHANBE, August 18, Asia-Plus — Restoration of Uzbekistan’s membership of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will strengthen a role of this regional security organization in the Central Asian region, Sayfullo Safarov, deputy director of Tajikistan’s Center for Strategic Studies, remarked in his interview with Asia-Plus today.
Asked about the possible impact of restoration of Uzbekistan’s membership of the CSTO on relations between Tajikistan and Russia, Mr. Safarov said that it would not harm relations between Tajikistan and Russia “because these countries share common goals in the field of security in the region, in particular in fighting terrorism, and trafficking in weapons, drugs and persons.” “On contrary, the restoration of Uzbekistan’s membership of the Organization will strengthen Tajik-Russian cooperation and improve relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan itself,” Tajik political scientist noted.
Mr. Safarov considers that Uzbekistan will comply with all principles of the Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC) and intends to resolve its problems on many issues within the framework of the Community.
As it had been reported earlier, the EAEC leaders Wednesday signed a resolution on Uzbekistan’s full-fledged membership of the CSTO.
The CSTO was founded on October 7, 2002 by Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan to ensure peace, preserve the territorial integrity of member countries, coordinate activities in the fight against international terrorism, drug trafficking, and organized international crime, and provide immediate military assistance to a CSTO member in the event of a military threat.
