"Strengthening Peace and International Security": CSTO Secretary General - on the goals and methods of the organization

- October 7 was the 18th anniversary of the signing of the Charter 

- Indeed, it was a very interesting and useful event, a “round table” initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

The emphasis was not placed on summing up the results of the activity, it is still a separate topic.

In our conversation, we focused on the prospects for the development of the CSTO.

And the theme was asked - "Strategic guidelines for the development of the CSTO."

Of course, it is necessary to consider the development prospects in conjunction with such initial data as the state of the organization, the situation that is now taking shape in the area of ​​responsibility, and in the world in general.

Therefore, of course, we gave such assessments.

And, if we summarize the statements made, we can say that the CSTO today is an established international organization.

Three very important tasks for the existence of an organization, any international organization have been solved.

First, a regulatory and legal framework has been created that is necessary to address the challenges facing the organization.

Second, working bodies have been formed.

The algorithms of their work and their functioning have been worked out.

And third, the necessary forces and means have been formed.

Including the collective defensive forces.

Moreover, the organization is recognized in the international arena.

Including from the United Nations.

The opening of the session of the UN General Assembly took place in September.

At the same time, a joint statement by the UN Secretary General and the CSTO Secretary General was published, in which we gave a positive assessment of our interaction and announced that we would continue to strengthen this interaction.

We also cooperate with the OSCE, the CIS, the SCO, with other international organizations, and with the Red Cross.

All this suggests that the organization is recognized in the world.

Moreover, it really solves the problem.

And, above all, on such urgent threats as the fight against terrorism, the fight against drugs, illegal migration, and the fight against mercenaries. 

What are the goals of the organization?

They have not changed over the years.

This is the strengthening of peace, international and regional security and the collective protection of the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of our states.

Giving priority, at the same time, to political means. 

Recently I had to read a reproach against the CSTO in the information field.

Allegedly, the organization is fictitious, it still has not fought anywhere, has not shown itself.

Even if the organization was at war, it would mean that we have not fulfilled our first and main purpose - protecting peace and strengthening security. 

- In recent months, as we know, unrest has unfolded on the territory of the CSTO member states, if we talk about Belarus and Kyrgyzstan.

In the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, hostilities are underway (the interview was recorded before the ceasefire agreements reached in Moscow. -

- As for the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, the CSTO was the first international organization to react to the intensification of the conflict.

We expressed very serious concern about the aggravation of the situation and called on the parties to an immediate ceasefire and return to the negotiation process under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.

All the countries that are members of the CSTO reacted in a similar vein.

As for the events in Belarus and the aggravation of the political crisis there, there was a corresponding reaction, we did not keep silent.

Of course, we are closely following what is happening in all our countries.

And our position is that we consider this a purely internal affair of Belarus.

The country has every opportunity to cope with these problems on its own, without any external interference.

Of course, they made it clear, including in the person of the chairman of the Collective Security Council, now Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, the President of the Russian Federation, that the CSTO is ready to provide any support to the republic that is required.

You know Putin's statement that the corresponding reserves have been created and, if necessary, they can be used.

It wasn’t necessary.

- And what about the events in Kyrgyzstan? 

- The approach is the same.

The country is going through hard times now.

We very much hope that the situation will stabilize.

And, by the way, this was also discussed at the round table.

And, among other things, it sounded that the CSTO, if necessary, will play its intermediary role.

This experience already exists.

Everything, of course, depends on the necessity and will of the Kyrgyz people.

- When are the collective security mechanisms activated?

When is the CSTO 

- Such cases are clearly spelled out in normative documents, primarily in the Collective Security Treaty.

Two thresholds can be considered.

The first is when real threats are created to security, stability, sovereignty, territorial integrity of the state, any of the CSTO member states.

Then it has the right to apply to the CSTO.

The mechanism of interstate consultations is being put into operation, including, if necessary, emergency consultations.

And the necessary assistance or support is provided to this state, at its request.

The second - in the event of aggression, military attack.

In this case, it is viewed as aggression against all our states, and, again, at the request of the country, it is immediately provided with all kinds of assistance, including military.

- How serious are the fears about the transfer of militants from Syria and Libya to 

- Now it is difficult for me to judge the scale and implementation of the transfer of militants to the zone of this conflict.

Apparently, it exists, and these militants, mercenaries appear there.

Of course, this does not benefit the normalization of relations; it presents a certain challenge.

And not only for the parties involved, but also for others.

We proceed from this.  

- As part of the CSTO monitoring of events in the post-Soviet space 

- The growth of national sentiments can be noted in almost all our countries.

If, of course, by this we consider the interest in their history, their culture, their identity, the desire to more self-identify as a nation.

And, in principle, there is nothing wrong with that.

If this process goes beyond certain boundaries, beyond those boundaries beyond which there is a manifestation of intolerance - cultural, ethnic, religious - this is a different picture.

But I would not point out that the process is now taking such forms.

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- National sentiments, as they grow, are looking for their leaders and their symbols.

Is it possible to consider here the linkage

- Probably, there are supporters of neo-Nazism in any state.

But they are negligible.

Moreover, in Belarus.

In a country that, at the genetic level, has absorbed an aversion to fascism, neo-Nazism, and Nazi theory.

Therefore, it would be superfluous to say that they play a role in modern politics and in public life.

At the same time, of course, the danger of the revival of neo-Nazism and its popularization cannot be underestimated.

And certain work is being carried out within the framework of the CSTO.

It takes place together with the upholding of the truth of the Great Patriotic War and with the work to prevent the distortion of history, in the fight against the popularization of Nazism.

We have a whole range of measures, because now attempts are being made to revise both the causes of the war and its results.

- In the light of the above, as well as the growth of threats in the current modern realities, it seems necessary to develop a common security system.

What is such a scheme in the CSTO?

- 18 years have passed since the organization was founded, and it is obvious that the situation is changing.

The CSTO system itself is changing, the accents in our work are changing.

If initially we built our work with an emphasis on preventing military threats, now threats of a different order are coming to the fore.

These are terrorism, drugs, illegal migration.

We are currently developing this segment of our security system.

And the emphasis in work is now shifting in this direction.

We have created the appropriate forces and are carrying out real permanent operations to prevent these threats. 

- And each member country within the organization makes its own contribution?

- Each country makes its own contribution.

Of course, states have different capabilities.

We must pay tribute - the Russian Federation plays a very important role in our organization.

Considering its potential, its capabilities. 

- What is the role of

joint military exercises

- Exercises are the highest form of troop training.

The teachings are different every year.

This year, the pandemic has made its own adjustments.

Despite this, we plan to conduct several exercises, including Interaction-2020.

Unfortunately, we are forced to change the venue and format of this exercise, minimizing the number of troops.

Next week we will begin peacekeeping exercises on the territory of Belarus.

There are not only tasks for practicing tactical actions, but also some research tasks. 

- Is the CSTO considering the possibility of its expansion in the future?

Are there 

- We are an open organization, we are open to countries

that are friendly to all of us, who share the norms of our Charter, the Collective Security Treaty.

They have the opportunity to join our organization - with the consent, of course, of all the CSTO member states.

And I would now put on the agenda not even the expansion of our bloc, but the expansion of the belt of good neighborliness through the status of an observer and partner of the

organization.

We have signed agreements, and we expect that this year the process of ratification of these agreements, which legally legitimize these norms - of an observer or a partner of an organization, will be completed.

Due to this, we plan to expand the belt of good neighborliness, the belt of our friends.