The CSTO Secretary General participated in the fourth meeting of chairmen of committees (commissions) of parliaments of the CSTO member states

On 7 February 2025, the CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov spoke at the fourth meeting of the chairmen of the committees (commissions) of the parliaments of the CSTO member states, whose subject matter includes international relations, defense and security issues. The event took place in the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

The theme of the report is “Issues of Foreign Policy Coordination of the Positions of the CSTO Member States on International and Regional Security Problems”.

Text of the speech by the CSTO Secretary General (7.02 2025 Moscow):

“Issues of Foreign Policy Coordination of the Positions of the CSTO Member States on International and Regional Security Problems”.

Dear Chairperson, Distinguished participants of the meeting of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly!

I am grateful for the invitation and the opportunity to address today's meeting.

We are pleased to note the regular cooperation between the leadership of the CSTO Secretariat and representatives of the parliaments of the CSTO member states. The parliamentary dimension is becoming an increasingly important area of our work. This is particularly relevant in view of the difficult international situation in a number of regions directly adjacent to the CSTO area of responsibility, which is most affected by the following main factors:

The First. Increasing military presence of the North Atlantic Alliance in the western and north-western directions, high intensity of the trainings near the borders with the Republic of Belarus and Russia.

The Second. Further aggravation of the situation in Eastern Europe against the background of NATO expansion, continued concentration of the Alliance's armed forces on the borders of the union state of Belarus and Russia. Continued pumping of weapons and provision of military and other support to Ukraine.

The Third. Rising tensions in the Middle East, where the interests of Turkey, Iran, Israel and the United States collide.

The Fourth. The continuing danger of the spread of terrorism, radical ideology and drug trafficking in the Central Asian region, despite the known positive changes in Afghanistan.

The Fifth. The emergence of new points of tension. Of particular concern are the challenges and threats of a hybrid nature. I am referring to the vicious practice of increasing sanctions measures against undesirable states as an alternative to maintaining political dialogue and unleashing an aggressive information campaign against opponents.

The Sixth. Fundamental international developments are accompanied by the strengthening of powerful positive factors, including the growing consolidation of the countries of the “Global South”, which may indicate the gradual formation of a balanced polycentric world order.

In the emerging conditions, the CSTO's importance as an important factor in ensuring stability and predictability in the Eurasian space remains. The Organization is called upon to become one of the pillars of the formation of a new continental security architecture, which will serve the conjugation of integration projects and the harmonization of relations between development centers in Eurasia.

I can assure you that the CSTO Secretariat is making every effort to strengthen the political authority of the CSTO and to uphold the collective interests of states with a view to their progressive military, political and economic development for the benefit of our peoples.

We are building this work on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of the situation and capacity-building for strategic forecasting.

Dear parliamentarians,

The session of the Collective Security Council held on 28 November in Astana summed up the results of the Organization's work in 2024, taking into account the priorities of the presidency of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Current international and regional problems were discussed and work plans for 2025 were outlined.

15 documents have been prepared for consideration by the Collective Security Council, recording common positions of member states or laying the foundations for improving the functioning of the Organization.

The most important of them are the final Declaration of the leaders of the CSTO member states, the Special Interstate Policy for strengthening sections of the Tajik-Afghan Border, the CSC Decision on Further Strengthening of Allied Relations, the Plan of Measures to Celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the Great Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 and others.

The Astana CSC session convincingly demonstrated the need for further improvement of the collective security system in all its basic elements - coordination of political activities, military cooperation and countering transnational challenges and threats.

The priorities of the Chairmanship of the Kyrgyz Republic for 2025, which will be held under the motto “80 Years of the Great Victory”, were presented:

- Strengthening the role of the CSTO in maintaining peace and security;

- Further development of the system for training military personnel and military-scientific potential;

- activities under the CSTO Joint Staff;

- increasing the effectiveness of military-economic cooperation;

- implementation of a set of measures in the sphere of countering new challenges and threats.

The Kyrgyz side noted in a special line the need to strengthen cooperation within the parliamentary dimension, in particular with the parliamentary structures of other states and international organizations.

The Council of Foreign Ministers approved the plan of consultations of representatives of member states on foreign policy, security and defense for 2025-2027.

The document provides for the development of the well-established practice of communicating to international political and social circles agreed positions on the Organization's priority problems.

Interaction with international organizations, primarily the United Nations, the CIS and the SCO, will remain an important area for the CSTO and its Secretariat.

Our leading international partner is the United Nations. Objectively, the interests of the CSTO and the United Nations in maintaining peace and security coincide. We will consistently develop cooperation, first and foremost in the areas of peacekeeping, combating terrorism and drug trafficking and countering threats in the area of international information security.

The Organization's approach to interaction with the United Nations was updated following the results of the participation of senior officials of the CSTO, the CIS and the SCO in the debate held on 19 July 2024 at the UN Security Council meeting on “UN Cooperation with Regional Organizations: the CSTO, the CIS and the SCO”.

During the meeting of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, a regular Resolution on “Cooperation between the UN and the CSTO” was adopted.

In accordance with the CSC CSTO decision of 23 November 2022 “On intentions to develop CSTO cooperation with the CIS and the SCO”, the CSTO Secretariat is systematically working with the above-mentioned organizations. Meetings of the senior administrative officials of the CSTO, the CIS and the SCO are held on a regular basis, at which views are exchanged on a wide range of problems of mutual interest.

Contacts were organized between the CSTO Secretariat leadership and the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Afghanistan, the head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and representatives of other United Nations organizations.

We are generally satisfied with the development of our cooperation with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office and the Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the United Nations Security Council, as well as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, within the framework of the existing memorandums. We are interested in further expanding this cooperation. We have effective practical experience - methods of cooperation that have been developed over the years, aimed at depriving international terrorist organizations of a “breeding ground”. They are being implemented mainly on the basis of planned preventive and operational measures conducted by the competent bodies of the CSTO member states, such as operations “Channel”, “PROXY”, “Illegal” and “Mercenary”. Their purpose is to systematically counter illicit drug trafficking, suppress illegal migration and prevent the use of information and communication technologies in the interests of the international terrorist international, as well as to block channels for recruiting and the entry/exit of citizens of our states to participate in terrorist activities and to neutralize the resource base of terrorist organizations.

Strengthening regional security and stability in Eurasia is inextricably linked to the further development of the trilateral format of cooperation between the CSTO, the CIS and the SCO in these areas. We believe that these three organizations, which are close in spirit and in political priorities, can jointly set the tone for efforts to create a new continental security architecture, to link integration projects and to harmonize relations between development centers in Eurasia.

The adoption of the CSTO Special Interstate Policy for strengthening sections of the Tajik-Afghan Border is evidence of the allies' shared recognition of the high potential risks to Central Asia stemming primarily from the danger of the spread of terrorism, extremism and narcotic drugs from Afghanistan.

I recently visited the Republic of Tajikistan and met with officials, including the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, the distinguished Emomali Rahmon. We discussed the implementation of this important Policy.

The Secretariat considers it important to continue monitoring the situation in Afghanistan and to increase coordination of efforts to counter the threats emanating from it. The development of dialogue within the framework of the Working Group on Afghanistan under the CSTO Ministerial Council. Today, both individual countries and international organizations and NGOs are seeking to join it.

Dear Parliamentarians,

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that the parliamentary dimension is of particular importance in our work. The development of the treaty and legal framework of the Organization itself and the harmonization of national legislations are traditional forms of inter-parliamentary cooperation.

The political and diplomatic format of cooperation within the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, which has been tested over many years, has proved its validity and effectiveness. The meetings of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly Council in June (Almaty) and December 2024 (Moscow) were dynamic and effective. We can also note the success of the meeting of the Coordination Meeting of the Chairmen of the Committees (Commissions) on Defense and Security of the Parliaments of the CSTO member states under the Council of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly held in Bishkek in September last year.

Closer coordination in the work of the CSTO Secretariat and Parliamentary Assembly can strengthen the Organization's potential and contribute to the formation of an effective “security space” in Eurasia.

Allow me to wish you, distinguished parliamentarians, successful work and thank you for your attention.