DUSHANBE, February 28, Asia-Plus – Visiting Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Nikolay Bardyuzha today morning delivered a lecture at Russian-Tajik Slavic University (RTSU) on the subject of fight international terrorism, religious extremism and other modern challenges.
According to the Ministry of Defense (MoD), the CSTO secretary general will deliver the same lecture at the MoD Military Institute as well.
According to the Tajik MFA, Bardyuzha who arrived in Dushanbe yesterday evening already met with Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zaripov. The two discussed problems of regional security.
During his stay in Dushanbe, the CSTO secretary general is also scheduled to meet with President Emomali Rahmonov, Defense Minister Sherali Khairulloyev, Drug Control Agency Director Rustam Nazarov and other officials. Their talks are aiming to focus on the present situation within the SCTO area, in particular in the Central Asian region, as well as preparations for the next session of the Collective Security Council scheduled for the second quarter of 2007.
Bardyuzha’s visit to Tajikistan will last until March 3.
CSTO members – Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan – use the organization as a platform for fighting drug trafficking, terrorism, and organized crime, and have pledged to provide immediate military assistance to each other in the event of an attack. The bloc has a Collective Rapid Reaction Force deployed in Central Asia, and is continuing to build up its military forces.
