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.
The 12th Southern Information Security Forum “Infoforum Sochi 2026” is taking place in Sochi, Russia, from June 30 to July 3. On July 1, the Forum's plenary session brought together representatives of federal and regional authorities, regulatory bodies, leading companies, and international organizations to discuss current challenges in the protection of critical infrastructure, the development of artificial intelligence, and international cooperation.
On June 30 – July 1, 2026, Saint Petersburg hosted a series of events chaired by Alexander Kurenkov, Minister of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters, with the participation of heads of the competent authorities of the CSTO member states responsible for emergency prevention and response.
From June 24 to 26, 2026, CSTO Secretary General Talatbek Masadykov paid a working visit to the Republic of Tajikistan at the personal invitation of President Emomali Rahmon.
The CSTO Secretary General meets with Belarusian Defense Minister
30.10.2024
The CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov met with Viktor Khrenin, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Belarus, in Minsk.
The parties discussed the main areas of cooperation on the organization's platform this year, as well as possible areas of further interaction.
The head of the Belarusian defense ministry briefed the CSTO Secretary General on the current military and political situation in the Eastern European region of collective security, as well as informed about the position of the Belarusian side on the agenda of the upcoming joint meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, the Council of Defense Ministers, the Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils of the CSTO member states to be held on November 28, 2024 in Astana.
Speaking about the CSTO activities in the near future, the Minister of Defense noted that the main attention of the Belarusian side will be focused on the preparation and holding of joint trainings in the format of the organization “Interaction-2025”, “Search-2025”, “Echelon-2025” on the territory of Belarus in September 2025, implementation of the provisions of the strategy of collective security for the period up to 2025.
