On 24 April 2024, in Moscow, at the CSTO Secretariat consultations of the CSTO member states under the chairmanship of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the theme: "On topical issues of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation" took place.
From 1 to 23 April 2024, the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation hosted the regular IX Training Courses of the CSTO member states for senior staff and leading specialists of defense departments, law enforcement agencies, security council apparatuses, security agencies and special services, as well as bodies authorized to prevent and eliminate emergency situations.
Interview of the CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov to the TASS agency
22.04.2024
1. 20 April marked the 30th anniversary of the entry into force of the Collective Security Treaty. How do you see the future and role of the CSTO in view of the significant geopolitical changes that have taken place in recent years? Which states will the CSTO focus on cooperation with in the foreseeable future?
The more than 30-year history of the existence of the Collective Security Treaty Organization has demonstrated not only the high degree of demand for such a union, but has also outlined certain prospects. Naturally, geopolitical transformations and the changes that are taking place in the modern system of collective relations are affecting the CSTO. More and more factors are influencing the military and political situation in Eurasia, and the aggravation of the geopolitical struggle here provokes the emergence of new points of tension and the aggravation of long-standing problems. One of the priorities of the Organization in such conditions is to strengthen cooperation between the CSTO member states. We will steadily continue our activities in this area. At the same time, the CSTO is actively developing external relations with international organizations such as the United Nations, the CIS and the SCO. Our positions on many security-related issues coincide, which creates a field for cooperation.
2. Criticism of the CSTO is regularly voiced from the Republic of Armenia. In this regard, do you expect Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to attend the CSTO summit in 2024? How might the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Nagorno-Karabakh affect the stability of the region?
The relations between the CSTO and the Republic of Armenia, as a member state of our Organization, are not going through the best period. However, Armenia's activities in the CSTO continue, and all issues on the agenda are being resolved in a working order. The participation or non-participation of the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in the CSTO summit in 2024 is the decision of a sovereign and independent country. Besides, there is still time before the summit, a lot can change during these months, hopefully for the better. As for the presence of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh: at present it is the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which has its own forces to ensure security and, obviously, this issue is not being resolved unilaterally. I believe that stability in the region depends to a greater extent on the prospects for the signing of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
3. There is a new round of escalation in the Middle East. Given the proximity of this region to the CSTO's area of responsibility, does the organization see the risks of the conflict expanding? Could the Organization in any way contribute to the settlement of this escalation if so requested?
The CSTO Secretariat observes with alarm and concern the escalation in the Middle East and the growth of tension in general. According to our analysts' assessments, the risks of conflict expansion exist, and they are quite real. A characteristic feature of the modern world, which is undergoing a period of transformation, is that many conflicts are not only escalating, but also getting out of control. Universal and regional security systems are unable to effectively influence the warring parties. In other words, the field of possibilities for successful resolution of such conflicts is shrinking dramatically due to the fundamentally different views of the leading world players on the structure of the future world order. This is a very big problem that needs to be addressed in order to avoid further escalation. Of course, the CSTO is ready to provide the tools at its disposal to resolve this conflict if there is a corresponding request and mandate.
https://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/20612735
https://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/20612275
https://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/20612323
