Session of the CSTO Collective Security Council September 15, 2015, Dushanbe

On the results of the meeting of the Session of the Collective Security Council in Dushanbe on September 15, 2015

The 2015 CSTO Collective Security Council Session, held in Dushanbe (Republic of Tajikistan), completed its work.

During the session and the previous joint meeting of the Councils of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defense and the Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils of the Organization's member states, a number of important issues of collective security were considered.

The session was opened by the CSC Chairman in the 2014-2015 intersessional period, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon. It was noted that the CSTO activities during the intersessional period were carried out in an environment of escalating processes and phenomena that could directly influence the situation in the CSTO area of ​​responsibility and adjacent regions.

Great fears are caused by events in the Middle East related to the activities of the international terrorist group "Islamic State". The violence and terror unleashed by him in the region covers the territories of many countries, his victims number in the thousands.

This factor aggravates the problem of resolving the situation in Syria, Libya, Yemen, Iraq, and the region as a whole. IG’s subversive activity has already spread to Afghanistan, which significantly increases the threat of terrorism, religious extremism and drug-related crime from its territory, making the territory of Afghanistan one of the world's largest drug production centers.

At the same time, the agreements reached on Iran’s nuclear program, leading to the normalization of its international involvement, create opportunities for stabilizing the situation in the region.

The priority theme of the CSC session in Dushanbe was the development of the military component and the consideration of the results of a surprise check of the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces (CRRF) to accomplish the tasks for the intended purpose.

The Minister of Defense of Tajikistan, Lieutenant-General Sherali Mirzo, presented to the heads of state a report on the results of a surprise check from May 12 to 22, 2015 about the readiness of the military contingents of the Collective Operational Response Forces of the CSTO to fulfill their missions.

In the course of a surprise check, a part of the CRRF military contingents allocated by the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation was regrouped (within 2 days) by air transport (over 80 flights of BTA aircraft) and deployed in the destination area in the Republic of Tajikistan to perform combat missions near the Tajik-Afghan border. The special forces unit of the Armed Forces of Kyrgyzstan regrouped into the area of ​​destination under its own power, making a march over a distance of more than 1000 km, including along mountain roads. The total number of the CORF group was more than 2,500 military personnel, about 200 units of military equipment and 20 aircraft of various types.

It was noted that the goals were achieved, the mechanism for the functioning of the CSTO crisis response system, in terms of the use of collective security forces and means, was tested, and issues were worked out to bring the high-alert combatants and military units of the CRRF to a set of measures in accordance with national plans.

Also discussed were the results of the CSTO joint action training of the CSTO “Interaction 2015”, which was held from 23 to 28 August 2015 in the Pskov region. It focused on mobility issues in creating a coalition group of troops in the East European region and organizing control and the conduct of joint operations by military contingents and formations of special-purpose forces of the CRRF. Approbation of various options for the composition and methods of using the CRRF contingents and the collective air force forces was continued. During the meeting of the CSC, a Protocol on the composition and basing of the CSTO Collective Air Force was signed.

Heads of State were also presented with the results of the operations “Channel” and “Channel-Patrol”, “Nelegal”, “PROXY” conducted in 2015, the “Thunder-2015” exercise with the special purpose units of the anti-drug agencies that are part of the CRRF and other events .

CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha in his report noted that during the intersessional period the main attention was paid to the implementation of the Decision of the CSTO Collective Security Council of September 23, 2013 "On the Action Plan for the implementation of the main directions of development of military cooperation of the CSTO member states for the period up to 2020" , which is a fundamental policy document in strengthening and developing the military component of the CSTO collective security system.

At the session of the CSC, the heads of the CSTO member states signed the Decision on the CSTO Troops (Collective Forces) command and control system, which would qualitatively improve and systematize the leadership of the Collective Forces Collective Security Treaty Organization.

An agreement on cooperation in the field of transportation of military and other units, movable property and military products was also signed. The document defines the procedure for interaction between the CSTO member states in planning and executing the transport of military and other units, movable property, military products, their transit through the territories of the states, including those not parties to the Agreement, as well as ensuring the safety of such transport.

The presidents adopted a decision and prolongation of the Protocol on the extension of the Agreement on the creation of a unified system of technical cover for railways, signed in April 2003 and entered into force in January 2006 for a period of 10 years.

In order to observe the principle of rotation and ensure continuous and operational management of the day-to-day activities of the CSTO Joint Staff, the Collective Security Council appointed Colonel-General Anatoly Sidorov, commander of the Western Military District of the Russian Federation, to the post of Chief of the CSTO Joint Headquarters, relieving Lieutenant General Alexander Studenikin of this post. appointed for a three-year term in 2012.

Considering that in 2015-2016 The presidency of the CSTO from the Republic of Tajikistan passed to the Republic of Armenia, President Serzh Sargsyan presented the priorities of Armenia, which are planned to be implemented during her presidency in the next intersessional period.

In his speech, he noted that when developing priorities, Armenia proceeded from the need to ensure the further development of the Organization on the principles of allied interaction and continuity.

"Since the signing of the Collective Security Treaty, more than two decades have passed. This was an important period of the formation, development and improvement of the Organization. This work should be continued on a systematic basis, having a clearly defined development landmark for the medium term. Based on this, I suggest One of the first priorities for the coming period is to record the completion of the development of the “CSTO Collective Security Strategy for the period up to the year 2025” and its adoption in 2016, said Serzh Sargsyan.

He stressed that he considers it important to strengthen and improve the foreign policy coordination of the positions of the CSTO member states on international and regional security issues. Our actions should proceed from the need to take into account allied obligations and the opinions of partners, jointly countering initiatives that run counter to the interests of one or several CSTO member states.

"The task of developing practical cooperation of the CSTO with the UN, OSCE, SCO and other organizations also seems to be relevant. Such cooperation contributes to increasing the international prestige of the Organization. As a successful example, I’ll note that the active phase “The Indestructible Brotherhood - 2015” will be watched by the delegation of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, ”the President of Armenia stated.

Special attention will be paid to the development of the defense component of the Organization. In this context, the following tasks come to the fore:

- further improvement of the management system of the forces and means of the collective security system of the CSTO, including the CRRF and the combined regional forces,

- increase the efficiency of making and implementing decisions on their application,

- carrying out joint activities in operational and combat training, including within the framework of the upcoming Cobalt 2016 tactical exercise in Armenia.

Of great importance is also the joint work on developing the CSTO crisis response system.

During the presidency of Armenia in the CSTO, great attention will be paid also to the peacekeeping component of the organization. Undoubtedly, the exercises conducted since the creation of the CSTO Peacekeeping Forces with the participation of peacekeeping contingents have become a significant stage in their formation. The time is ripe for creating a base organization for the preparation of the CSTO peacekeepers. As a basis for this basic organization, we propose to consider a training center for the peacekeeping brigade of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia. We are ready to share the experience gained over more than 10 years of participation in various operations. On the territory of the Republic of Armenia from September 28 to October 4 of this year. It is planned to hold a joint exercise of the CSTO Peacekeeping Forces “The Indestructible Brotherhood - 2015

It is also necessary to jointly develop algorithms aimed at deepening military-technical cooperation and military-economic cooperation of the CSTO member states, in particular, through the establishment of joint ventures in the military-industrial complex. We consider priority issues to ensure the security of the logistics infrastructure of the CSTO, including through the implementation of the Agreement on the creation of a unified system of technical rail cover from 2003, as well as the optimization of transit and transportation of military goods.

Naturally, we will pay attention and cooperation in the fight against modern challenges and threats. We plan to actively participate in the implementation of the anti-drug strategy adopted in the CSTO, as well as in the complex activities of the Channel, Nelegal and PROXI. As one of the practical steps in this direction, we suggest holding a conference in 2016 on the issues of ensuring the security of cyberspace of the CSTO member states using new information technologies in Armenia.

"We are convinced that joint efforts to improve the institutional foundations of the CSTO, including through the resumption of the High Level Group in our common interests, and the steps taken in this direction will increase the effectiveness of the organization," said the Chairman of the CSTO Collective Security Council, President Serzh Sargsyan.

Following the meeting of the Collective Security Council, the Statement of the Heads of the CSTO member states was adopted, in which the international situation was assessed, the results of the work done by the Organization in 2014-2015 were summed up. and identified development prospects.

The statement notes that the heads of the CSTO member states "reiterate their commitment to peace and stable development, the need to consolidate the efforts of all states to solve the pressing problems of humanity based on generally accepted norms and principles of international law."

"The member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization are in favor of a unifying agenda of world politics and are contributing to the search for solutions to existing contradictions and conflicts by exclusively peaceful, politico-diplomatic means."

“The member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization will continue to pay special attention to increasing the effectiveness of the CSTO in preventing and promptly resolving crisis situations in the area of ​​responsibility of the Organization. We consider it important to create an effective system for monitoring and preventing crisis situations within the Organization, ”the statement stresses.

 Also documents were signed on improving the activities of the Coordinating Council for Emergency Situations and the CSTO Secretariat, and the budget of the Organization was approved.

The session of the CSC discussed the issue of the Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The heads of state commissioned by December 2015 to develop a document providing for the appointment of the Secretary General of the CSTO on a rotational basis.

Following the session, 15 documents were adopted.

The next session of the CSTO Collective Security Council was decided to be held in the second half of 2016 in the city of Yerevan.

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CSTO spokesman Vladimir Zainetdinov

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