Asharq Al-Awsat: CSTO has taken a new step to combat common external threats
The CSTO summit was held in Minsk, Asharq Al-Awsat reports. In connection with the common threat in the form of NATO expansion, the organization's countries took an important step in the framework of opposition to the alliance: they agreed to create a unified air defense system and collective emergency response.
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has taken another step in countering common external threats. Five of the six heads of the CSTO member states agreed to create a unified air defense system and a system of collective response to emergencies.
Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan signed a number of documents on measures to develop a crisis response system and expand military cooperation and partnership in the field of security during the CSTO summit held in Minsk yesterday.
Armenia's refusal to participate in the event was a serious challenge to the unity and cohesion of the CSTO, but the Kremlin expressed hope that Yerevan will continue cooperation with its regional partners.
The five heads of the CSTO member states signed a number of documents, including a declaration and a decision of the Collective Security Council (CSC) on measures to develop a crisis response system, thereby expressing support for Moscow and Minsk opposing the well–known threat, namely the buildup of NATO forces at their borders.
CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov noted that the joint declaration adopted at the end of the summit is designed to "emphasize the fundamental principles of the organization's activities and demonstrate its position on topical issues of international security." For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who took part in this meeting, said that the CSTO members promptly agreed on positions on topical political and military-strategic issues, acute problems of the regional and international agenda.
"It is important that the CSTO's contacts with our natural partners have also developed this year, I mean the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the CIS," Putin added.
The Russian leader noted that "thanks to productive cooperation between the Foreign Ministry, the Ministries of Defense, the security councils, and parliaments, positions on topical political and military-strategic issues, acute problems of the regional and international agenda were quickly coordinated."
"I would particularly note the joint efforts being made to improve the collective rapid deployment and rapid response forces, the CSTO aviation and peacekeeping forces," the Russian president said.
Putin added: "A number of measures have been taken to maintain combat readiness, improve the management system and increase the training of military personnel."
Five heads of the CSTO member states signed a number of documents regulating the structure of cooperation and mechanisms of action. Despite this, Armenia's absence has cast a shadow on the future of the organization, which Yerevan accuses of failing to fulfill its obligations. The CSTO Charter states that aggression against one of the members of the bloc (an armed attack threatening security, stability, territorial integrity and sovereignty) is considered as aggression against all members of the organization. However, the member states decided to distance themselves from the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Yerevan refused to participate in the CSTO summit. Moreover, he asked his CSTO partners to remove the document on "collective support for Armenia" from the agenda, which increases the likelihood of Armenia's early withdrawal from this organization.
On the other hand, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, whose country presided over this summit, seemed confident that the steps taken would strengthen cohesion and promote joint work in the current confrontation that Moscow and Minsk are waging with the West. In his closing speech, Lukashenko hinted at new solutions to strengthen the security of the CSTO member states.
Lukashenko said that only nuclear weapons guarantee security in the region and give the right to vote in the international arena. Earlier, Moscow placed non-strategic nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus. This step, according to Lukashenko, is connected with the expansion of NATO to the East.
He explained: "We have been watching such so-called defensive maneuvers [of NATO countries] for a long time. Since the nuclear weapons were withdrawn from Belarus in 1996. How it all ended – the expansion of NATO to the East."
"Reproaches towards Belarus due to the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory are absurd. We are not threatening anyone, but the reality of today is that only the presence of powerful weapons guarantees security in the region," he added.
Meanwhile, the details of the agreement on the creation of a unified regional air defense system were not disclosed during the summit. This is what Putin mentioned on the eve of his trip to Minsk, when he said that "the work on the formation of a unified air defense system of the CSTO countries has reached the final stage," and noted that "Moscow has supplied Tajikistan with two S-300 divisions."
"In general, we are ready to continue and complete this work on the CSTO as a whole," the Russian leader said.
According to the Kremlin, the agenda includes key issues of interaction between the members of the organization, namely the improvement of the collective security system, as well as current international and regional problems; issues of foreign policy coordination, military cooperation, the fight against international terrorism, the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking, as well as biosecurity issues.
The final statement of the CSTO summit confirmed the consistency of positions on foreign policy and acute regional issues, including the conflict in the Middle East. The five heads of the CSTO member states called for an early cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip and facilitating the flow of humanitarian aid. The participants of the joint meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, the Council of Defense Ministers and the Committee of Secretaries of the CSTO Security Councils held preliminary meetings at which they agreed on a package of documents for the summit. CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov stated: "The organization has completed the previous plan and created mechanisms for the transition to a new stage of its development."
Author: Raed Jaber (?ائد ?بر)
