DUSHANBE, January 21, 2009, Asia-Plus — The agreement on peacekeeping activity of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has come into effect after the CSTO Secretariat received a written notification of completion by Russia of procedures necessary for the agreement taking effect, according to press release issued by the CSTO Secretariat.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the law on ratification of the CSTO peacekeeping activity agreement on January 6.
The agreement regulates issues regarding the CSTO participation in the peacekeeping activity on the world and regional levels and formation of peacekeeping forces on permanent basis. The peacekeeping forces will be trained under an integrated program and equipped with the same models of arming and telecommunications, and will take part in regular joint exercises.
It is to be noted that Russia is the fourth member nation of the Organization to ratify the agreement. Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia ratified the document on July 14, November 18 and December 29 last year respectively.
We will recall that the CSTO heads of state adopted the agreement on the legal basis of peacekeeping activities at the CSTO summit in Dushanbe on October 6, 2007.
The regional security organization was initially formed in 1992 for a five-year period by the members of the CIS Collective Security Treaty (CST) — Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, which were joined by Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Belarus the following year. A 1994 treaty “reaffirmed the desire of all participating states to abstain from the use or threat of force,” and prevented signatories from joining any “other military alliances or other groups of states” directed against members states. The CST was then extended for another five-year term in April 1999, and was signed by the presidents of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. In October 2002, the group was renamed as the CSTO. Uzbekistan joined the Organization in 2006.
