The CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov addressed the joint meeting of the Council and the 16th plenary session of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly

December 19, 2023, Moscow

Dear Chairman

Dear members of the Council and participants of the plenary session of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly,

Allow me to express my gratitude for the invitation to address the joint meeting of the Council and the 16th plenary meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

I will not dwell in detail on the specifics of the current situation in the areas of global and regional security. It is constantly discussed in the format of parliamentary diplomacy.

Let me say only that in difficult international conditions the CSTO has firmly and consistently maintained its course of strengthening collective security and ensuring the legitimate interests of its member states.

In this context, the outcome of the session of the Organization's Collective Security Council held in Minsk on 23 November this year is of particular importance. Today I should like to share with you some information in this regard.

The leaders of the allied states prioritized pressing international and regional security issues.

Council members have made clear and explicit their commitment to equal security for all. Our unconditional priority would be to return to a unifying agenda in the interests of resolving conflicts and crises and overcoming the problems growing in international relations.

This consolidated position was recorded in the final Declaration of the CSTO CSC.

At the same time, the Council adopted a substantial package of documents enhancing the CSTO's operational capabilities.

An important achievement of the year that is coming to an end is the drafting and adoption of the CSTO Decision “On measures to develop a crisis response system”.

It provides for a radical reduction in the time frame for the adoption and implementation of decisions on the use of force in crisis situations and the improvement of a number of organizational and technical procedures.

In the context of modernizing crisis response, it is of particular importance that objective information on the Organization's anti-crisis operations be promptly communicated to international political and public circles. It is intended to entrust this task to the Joint Press Centers, the Statute of which has also been approved by the CSC members.

At the end of the CSC session, the decisions on clarifying the composition and deployment of CSC Troops (Collective Forces), the development of the Peacekeeping Forces and infrastructure for the cohesion of peacekeeping contingents, as well as recommendations on the organization of communications in groupings of CSTO Troops (Collective Forces) have been approved.

By decision of the Council, Colonel-General Andrei Serdyukov was appointed Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff. He is a well-known military commander who enjoys well-deserved authority in the armed forces of all CSTO member states.

During the session, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan informed about the priorities of the Republic during the CSTO Chairmanship in 2024. In accordance with them, the work of the Organization will be structured in the coming year.

We will intensify the systematic strengthening of the security component.

The most important tasks include equipping troops with modern weapons, military and special equipment and special means.

An extensive program of joint combat training activities has been prepared for 2024. A total of seven trainings are planned with the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces, the Collective Rapid Deployment Forces of the Central Asian region, the CSTO Peacekeeping Forces, logistical, intelligence, command and control bodies and special-purpose formations of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

The trainings will take place on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tajikistan.

Dear Members of Parliament,

Work will be strengthened to improve mechanisms to counter a wide range of transnational challenges and threats.

The danger of the spread from the territory of Afghanistan of terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking and illicit trafficking in weapons and narcotics remains. This directly threatens the southern borders of the CSTO area of responsibility.

In terms of coordinating efforts to address these challenges, I should like to emphasize the role of the Working Group on Afghanistan under the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers.

Evidence of the authority of the WGA is the growing interest in participating in its work on the part of the specialized bodies of the United Nations, the CIS, the SCO and a number of other influential international organizations.

The closeness of these structures' assessments of the Afghan situation and their willingness to work closely together is noteworthy.

As a result of the CSTO CSC session, the heads of states gave instructions to speed up and promptly complete work on the draft CSTO Special Interstate Policy for strengthening sections of the Tajik-Afghan Border.

A meeting of the Interdepartmental Working Group will be held just tomorrow, following the results of which specific proposals on the amount of assistance required and its financing can be formulated.

In September of this year, an active phase of the CSTO regional anti-terrorist operation "Mercenary" was carried out, which was given the status of a permanent operation.

The implementation of the Anti-Drug Strategy of the CSTO member states for 2021-2025 will continue steadily, including by using the capabilities of the annual specialized operation "Channel".

The focus will remain on countering illegal migration, as well as crimes in the field of information technology. This year we have successfully carried out operations "Illegal" and "PROXY".

These operations are characterized by high efficiency, as evidenced by some of the data I would like to cite. During their implementation, 110,000 persons involved in terrorist activities and 870,000 illegal migrants were detained, and 424 tons of narcotic, psychotropic and potent substances were confiscated. More than 210,000 extremist information resources were suspended.

In view of the special importance of the subject of biological security, the relevant Coordination Council of authorized bodies of CSTO member states has been formed and has successfully begun its work.   During the three meetings of this body, the personal composition of its participants was determined, the procedure for further work was discussed, and a plan of action for 2024-2025 was adopted.

Dear Members of Parliament,

The situation in the world clearly requires deepening the work on the information-analytical and prognostic tracks. In order to make the right proactive decisions, we need a clear understanding of the directions of development of the international situation and the potential risks associated with them.

The success of this work is inconceivable without the support of influential governmental organizations and research centers in partner countries. Much has already been done to this end. The Secretariat has cooperation agreements with some of these centers. In that regard, we invite parliamentarians to actively engage in that work.

I should like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Belarusian Chairmanship for holding the high-level International Conference "Eurasian Security: Reality and Prospects in a Transforming World" in Minsk in October this year. It is fundamentally important that the overwhelming majority of the speeches by prominent politicians and academics participating in the conference stressed the particular relevance of strengthening the role of regional organizations.

Indeed, no single organization can alone ensure peace, security and development in a complex, rapidly changing world. In this regard, work to reduce strategic security risks through preventive regional activities is gaining additional relevance.  

Dear Members of Parliament,

Thank you for your work in ratifying important international treaties such as:

- Protocol amending the Agreement on the CSTO Peacekeeping Activities; 

- Agreement on jurisdiction and legal assistance in cases involving the temporary stay of formations, forces and means in the collective security system on the territories of CSTO member states;

- Agreement on joint logistical and medical support for the CSTO troops.

At the same time, another document, the consideration of which at the parliamentary level is continuing, is of great importance for the further improvement of the CSTO's activities.

This is the Fourth Protocol amending the Charter of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (on biosafety).

I request your assistance, if possible, in finalizing the ratification procedures as soon as possible.

In conclusion, I should like to stress that the current political realities urgently require further improvement of the legal framework governing all areas of our Organization's activities and development, greater detail in the mechanisms and tools and algorithms for taking managerial decisions.

In this context, the Parliamentary Dimension is of particular importance. The development of the treaty and legal framework of the Organization itself and the harmonization of national legislations are inconceivable without dynamic interparliamentary cooperation.

Allow me to wish you, dear parliamentarians, successful work.

In view of the fact that our today's meeting is taking place on the eve of the New Year holidays, I ask you, dear parliamentarians, to accept my sincerest congratulations and wishes for a happy New Year.

Thank you for your attention.