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.
Representatives of the CSTO Secretariat took part in a conference on Afghanistan
26.10.2025
On October 26, the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IOS RAS) hosted an international scientific and practical conference entitled “The Domestic Political Situation in Afghanistan and Its Impact on the Security of Countries in the Region.” The conference was attended by representatives of the Secretariat of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), as well as the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and scientists from relevant research centers in Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Pakistan, and other countries. The event brought together leading experts to develop balanced approaches to solving Afghanistan's pressing problems and assessing their impact on regional security.
The CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov addressed the conference participants with a welcoming speech. In his address, he emphasized the relevance of dialogue in light of the serious challenges facing Afghanistan and the entire region.
“I am convinced that it is precisely constructive discussion aimed at fulfilling specific practical tasks in the field of regional security that will allow us to better understand the underlying processes taking place in Afghanistan, predict changes in the situation in the country and the region, and develop balanced approaches to solving accumulated problems,” Imangali Tasmagambetov said.
The Secretary General also reported that the CSTO Secretariat initiated this expert format in 2023 and highly valued its continuation as an extremely important area of work for the Organization.
During the two sessions of the conference, experts discussed a wide range of issues, including the domestic political situation in Afghanistan, the Taliban's personnel and ethnic policies, the risks of the spread of terrorism and extremism, as well as the impact of the Afghan crisis on the security of neighboring states and the prospects for regional infrastructure projects.
The recommendations developed during the event will be summarized and sent to the Working Group on Afghanistan under the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization for use in the practical activities of the Organization.
