TSAMTO, December 10th. On December 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin met in the Kremlin with the chairmen of the parliaments of the member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
The meeting was attended by Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus Igor Sergeenko, Chairman of the Majilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerlan Koshanov, Chairman of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic Nurlanbek Shakiev, Chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan Mahmadtoir Zokirzoda.
Below are fragments of Vladimir Putin's speech as presented by the Kremlin's press service.
Vladimir Putin: "Dear friends and colleagues!
I am very glad to see you all. Welcome!
I know that you successfully held a regular meeting of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, discussed important issues related to legislative support for cooperation between the organization's member states in the field of defense, military construction, crisis response, combating terrorism, drug trafficking, and organized crime, and outlined plans for norm–setting activities in the context of decisions already approved by my colleagues, the leaders of the CSTO states most recently, in November, in Astana. <…>
<...> Cooperation within the framework of the CSTO is built in the spirit of alliance, combat brotherhood, and mutual revenue. We are firmly committed to the task of strengthening the organization, increasing its authority in ensuring peace and stability throughout the vast Eurasian space, and we stand in solidarity for the formation of a just multipolar world order, equal and indivisible security, respect for each other's sovereign interests and the right of everyone to their own development model.
The CSTO's coordinated approaches to key regional and international issues are reflected, among other things, in political statements regularly adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly. It seems to be such a common document, a document with common phrases and ideas about our joint work, but it is not just phrases, it reflects the meaning of our joint work.
In addition, the legislators of the CSTO countries make a significant contribution to the harmonization of legal regulation of the activities of competent authorities and special services. Migration security concepts and recommendations for improving legislation in the field of combating illegal migration have been prepared in a timely manner. Both Russia and our partners are interested in this, because everything must be taken in a timely manner so that those people who move from one country to another within the framework of our association work, and local citizens feel calm, confident, safe, and those who come are ready for this work, they would understand where they are coming to, know the language of the country where they intend to live and work, use social opportunities and guarantees, both they and their family members, but in such a way, I repeat once again, so that it would be comfortable for those people who live in a particular country on a permanent basis, citizens which they are and, of course, require the state to ensure their rights, guarantees in the field of labor legislation and safety. This, of course, we must keep in mind.
I know that you have developed an appropriate model bill that can be used by the Organization's participants to optimize national regulation and prevent military biological activity. This is a very important area of our joint work. You and I are well aware that some countries are developing these activities on the territories of foreign states, including our own, and we, without any doubt, must understand what is happening in these laboratories: whether there are threats there, if so, what they are and how to counteract these threats.
The Parliamentary Assembly deals with the topic of information security in the same substantive way. We are well aware of the kind of world we live in, how important it is, and we must arrange our work in such a way as to ensure safety.
On the other hand, do not stand in the way of progress, as they say, and do not interfere with the development of those areas of activity that would certainly contribute to our own development. This is not an easy task. But in this regard, of course, special attention needs to be paid to the regulation of the Internet, the creation and legal regulation of everything related to artificial intelligence, robotics, and the use of big data.
Here, it is also necessary to ensure the effective use of all these opportunities for the development of the economy and the social sphere, but at the same time to ensure the safety of our citizens and their rights, including the right to privacy, the right to privacy, so that the state does not unreasonably interfere in those areas of activity that a person, of course, he considers what is called his rear, his family, his home.
Harmony and interaction at the level of the state and a particular citizen should be developed here. The legal support of this work is very important here. And when we do this together, it creates a single space: both a legal space and a humanitarian space in the broadest sense of the word.
We hope that the legislators of our countries will also contribute to solving such an urgent task as countering the dissemination of false information and the imposition of destructive ideological attitudes from the outside.
The traditional values that we are talking about, regardless of which religion is dominant in a particular country, are generally the same. We are aware of this, we have known this, including since the days of the Soviet Union, when all our countries lived as part of a single state.
It is very good that contacts are taking place through civil society and religious organizations. But, of course, parliamentarians who work directly with people, protecting the interests of their constituents, are called upon to consolidate all this together.
Another area that seems to need attention is support for military–technical and military-economic cooperation, especially for countries of an organization such as the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
In the current difficult international situation, it is important to ensure the technological leadership of the CSTO countries in the defense sector, it is necessary to work together on the standardization of weapons and military equipment, the development of multilateral cooperation between specific enterprises, entire industries related to the defense sector in one way or another <...>.
<...> In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that without your support, without the support of the public, the various political forces that you represent, it would be very difficult, almost impossible, to solve the tasks facing the CSTO states, because legislative support is needed in each area, legislative acts are needed. And of course, at your meetings you define general principles that should eventually be incorporated into national legislation. All of this is extremely important."
