On July 15, 2026, the High-Level Regional Meeting “Enhancing Capacities to Prevent the Supply of Weapons to Terrorists in Central Asia” was held in Moscow, organized by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism with the participation of the Russian side.
On July 14, 2026, a working meeting was held at the CSTO Secretariat between CSTO Deputy Secretary General Valery Semerikov and UN Assistant Secretary-General Alexander Zuev.
From July 7 to 9, second staff talks were held in the Russian Federation on the organization and conduct of the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Forces (CRRF) command-and-staff exercise “Interaction-2026”, the special reconnaissance exercise “Poisk-2026”, and the logistics support exercise “Echelon-2026”.
In accordance with the 2026 Action Plan of the Coordinating Council of Heads of the Competent Authorities for Countering Illicit Drug Trafficking of the CSTO Member States, and as part of the Russian Federation's priorities during its 2026 CSTO Chairmanship, the sub-regional counter-narcotics operation “Kanal – Amber Coast” was conducted from June 29 to July 3, 2026. The operation was aimed at disrupting trafficking routes for narcotic drugs, their precursors and analogues, new psychoactive substances, and potent substances into the CSTO area of responsibility, neutralizing international transnational drug trafficking groups, dismantling clandestine drug production facilities, undermining the economic foundations of the drug trade, including the laundering of drug proceeds.
An extended meeting of the leadership of the CSTO Secretariat and Joint Staff was held
31.03.2023
On 31 March 2023, the CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov made a project report at an expanded meeting of the leadership of the CSTO working bodies. During his speech, a detailed assessment of the emerging geopolitical situation in the CSTO area of responsibility and adjacent regions was made, and approaches to ensuring peace and stability in the Organization's area of responsibility were formulated.
The Secretary General stressed that the current international situation was characterized by an increase in global and regional contradictions, which involved, among others, the CSTO member states.
In this context Imangali Tasmagambetov elaborated on the situation in the CSTO regions of collective security, stressing the presence of serious challenges and threats in each of them. Presenting the situation in Eastern Europe, the CSTO Secretary General stated the active involvement of extra-regional forces in the conflict in and around Ukraine. More and more advanced and powerful weapons systems are being supplied. There has been an unprecedented build-up of NATO military capabilities in the Baltic States, Poland and the Black Sea region.
According to the assessment of the CSTO Secretary General, the situation in the South Caucasus remains fraught with serious destabilization. The risks associated with the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border remain relevant.
In Central Asia, along with some positive developments related to the consensus reached by the countries of the region on border issues, the challenges and threats emanating from the territory of Afghanistan, where the positions of various terrorist groups and forces behind the illegal production and distribution of narcotic drugs are strengthened, remain very relevant.
The resolution of these crisis situations is complicated by the virtual breakdown of the system of international security treaties, as well as by the strongest sanctions and propaganda pressure exerted on the CSTO member states. Nevertheless, the nature of the challenges requires member states to take coordinated measures aimed at strengthening peace and stability in the Organization's area of responsibility.
Imangali Tasmagambetov has informed that the whole range of listed issues is in the focus of attention of political leadership of the Organization, which was confirmed during the meetings of Secretary General with the heads of the member states. At the same time, Imangali Tasmagambetov noted the unconditional commitment of the member states to the interests of collective security and the common determination to use the accumulated joint mechanisms to solve these and other problems. Furthermore, the Secretary General drew attention to the need to improve the CSTO activities, taking into account the changing international situation.
The meeting focused on tasks related to preparations for upcoming intersessional meetings of statutory bodies, as well as joint trainings and operations of the CSTO.
