The CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov delivered a welcoming address at the 11th meeting of the Secretaries of the Security Councils of the CIS member states

On 8 November 2023, in Moscow, the 11th meeting of the Secretaries of the Security Councils of the CIS member states was held, where the CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov delivered a welcoming address.

Dear Nikolai Platonovich!

Dear Secretaries of the Security Councils!

On behalf of the Secretariat of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, I welcome the organizers and participants to the Eleventh Meeting of the Secretaries of the Security Councils of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States. I thank the Security Council of the Russian Federation for inviting me to this important meeting. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of this type of meeting.

Dear Colleagues!

The deterioration of the international political situation and the intensification of confrontation at the global and regional levels are accompanied by a decrease in the controllability of the system of international relations. The result is the emergence of crisis situations at the intersection of geopolitical and geo-economic interests of key players. The situation is aggravated by the use of hybrid technologies, which makes it much more difficult to identify threats and to detect violations of national sovereignty.та.

The erosion of international law, the decline in the authority and real status of international organizations make the situation less and less predictable, and form new trends of degradation of the situation on the world stage.

This has a negative impact on the national security of our states.

Unfortunately, confrontation at the global level is inevitably reflected at the regional and even subregional levels, where long-standing problems are aggravated and new ones emerge. Their resolution requires additional efforts to develop mechanisms to ensure peace and stability that meet the requirements of the times. This applies in full measure to the area of responsibility of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. This space has already become a place where various hybrid technologies are being tested and serious threats to the internal stability of the Organization member states are being formed.

Accordingly, the role of subregional cooperation in the field of security increases here, as often local problems are of such a specific nature that no global international organization can solve them. Importantly, these local problems can develop into regional ones in case of overt or covert interference of external forces pursuing destructive goals.

In the case of the CSTO area of responsibility, this could include territorial disputes, the problem of borders and border conflicts. However, we have positive examples of the gradual resolution of such issues. For example, the conflict situation between the Republics of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan is gradually being resolved, without mediators but thanks to the efforts of the heads of states.

Work is under way to delimit and demarcate sections of the common border.

Speaking about the complicated situation in the South Caucasus, I would like to emphasize once again that the CSTO draft decision, which was aimed at defusing the situation in the region and which, unfortunately, was not adopted last November at the CSC session, remains in force in case consensus is reached.

The southern borders of the CSTO area of responsibility remain at risk of the spread of terrorist activity, illegal migration and illicit trafficking in weapons and drugs.

The infiltration of terrorist and extremist elements is associated not only with the extremely difficult situation in Afghanistan, but also with instability in the regions bordering Afghanistan. All of this makes the task of expeditiously completing work on the draft CSTO Special Interstate Policy for strengthening sections of the Tajik-Afghan Border even more urgent. The problem of the use of water resources in Central Asia also remains a pressing issue. Its politicization provokes the build-up of conflict potential. Ignoring these issues could lead to catastrophic consequences at the regional level.

As part of its response to new challenges and threats, the Organization is strengthening its analytical and predictive capabilities. The Organization is focusing on developing effective methods to counter threats to biological security.

A key area of the CSTO activity is crisis response and strengthening the force component and improving the training and management systems of the Organization’s Collective Forces. The results of these efforts are regularly tested in the format of joint combat training events. The peacekeeping track is being developed - the CSTO's collective peacekeeping potential proved its effectiveness in January 2022 in dealing with the crisis situation in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Dear Colleagues!

The world situation is rapidly transforming, reflecting the course of the global geopolitical confrontation over the future world order. The CSTO represents an impressive collective military and political potential in Eurasia. We should therefore be prepared to jointly repel new threats and neutralize challenges to regional security. The Collective Security Treaty Organization assures you of its readiness to work together and to exchange information and experience.

I believe that our meeting today is one of the steps towards finding solutions to common security problems.

In conclusion, I should like to wish you, dear colleagues, fruitful work together.