85 years ago, the Great Patriotic War began. The war machine of Nazi Germany launched a treacherous attack against Soviet cities and villages and committed unprecedented atrocities against Soviet citizens. The peoples of the Soviet Union rose to defend their common Motherland and paid an enormous price for peace, freedom, and the right to live on their own land.
On June 17–18, 2026, CSTO Secretary General Talatbek Masadykov visited sections of the State Border of the Republic of Belarus with Poland and Lithuania.
On June 18, 2026, the 24th Meeting of the Interstate Commission for Military-Economic Cooperation of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (ICMEC CSTO) was held in Minsk on the sidelines of the 3rd International Security Industry Exhibition “National Security. Belarus 2026”. The meeting was chaired by Dmitry Stefanovich, Head of the Belarusian National Section of the ICMEC and Deputy Chairman of the State Authority for Military Industry of the Republic of Belarus.
On June 18, 2026, the 2nd Military-Economic Conference of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, entitled “Development of Cooperation among the Defense Industries (Military-Industrial Complexes) of the CSTO Member States: 20 Years of Practical Cooperation”, was held in Minsk on the sidelines of the 3rd International Security Industry Exhibition “National Security. Belarus 2026”. The event brought together representatives of relevant ministries, agencies, defense enterprises, and other institutions and organizations of the CSTO member states.
Video message from Valery Semerikov, the CSTO Deputy Secretary General, to participants in a thematic event organized by Russia “on the margins” of the 69th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs
11.03.2026
During its year as chair of CSTO, under the motto “Collective Security in a Multipolar World: A Common Goal, Shared Responsibility,” the Russian Federation is placing particular emphasis on the comprehensive development of regional cooperation in the fight against drug-related crime.
On March 9, “on the margins” of the 69th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Russia held a thematic event entitled “Regional Efforts to Combat Drug Crime: Best Practices of the CSTO, the SCO, and the CIS,” organized in cooperation with the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Text of the video message from Valery Semerikov, the CSTO Deputy Secretary General, to participants in the thematic event organized by Russia “on the margins” of the 69th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs:
Ladies and gentlemen!
The drug situation in the area of responsibility of the Collective Security Treaty Organization is characterized by the persistence of a fairly high level of illicit drug trafficking, which poses a threat to the national security of the Organization's member states and to the health and well-being of their populations.
Currently, the following main trends in drug trafficking are observed:
- an increase in the share of synthetic drugs in the overall structure of drug trafficking;
- the high addictiveness of newly synthesized drugs;
- the widespread use of modern information and communication technologies and the latest electronic payment instruments by drug traffickers;
- changes in global drug smuggling routes;
- use of unmanned aerial vehicles by drug traffickers.
In this regard, joint coordinated efforts to counter this threat are key to protecting society from the destructive influence of cross-border drug trafficking.
Our Organization prioritizes the implementation of practical collective measures aimed at achieving specific results.
Evidence of this approach in our activities is the international anti-drug operation “Channel,” which has been conducted by the Organization since 2003.
As a result of the joint efforts of all interested ministries and agencies of the CSTO member states, as well as observers, more than 447 tons of drugs were seized from illegal circulation during the operations. A total of 7,413 criminal groups involved in the production and distribution of controlled substances were exposed and brought to justice.
The main coordinator and organizer of joint anti-drug efforts in the CSTO area of responsibility is the Council of Heads of Competent Authorities for Countering the Drug Trafficking.
The tasks of treating drug addicts and preventing the non-medical use of psychoactive substances are addressed in close cooperation between the member states of the Organization within the framework of the Coordination Meeting of Chief Narcologists of our states.
Joint training for anti-drug units of the CSTO member states is organized at basic law enforcement training institutions.
In order to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, close cooperation has been established between the CSTO Secretariat and the relevant Eurasian group, which has significantly increased the effectiveness of measures taken to undermine the economic foundations of the criminal drug industry.
At the same time, close cooperation has been established with specialized units of international structures such as the UNODC, the International Narcotics Control Board, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the SCO, and the CIS on issues related to combating drug trafficking.
The Collective Security Treaty Organization intends to further expand practical partnership in the field of drug control at all levels, as well as to promote the latest scientific and practical achievements in the fight against drugs. These tasks will be implemented in accordance with the CSTO Anti-Drug Strategy for 2026-2030, which was approved by the heads of our states in November 2025.
Thank you for your attention!
