Putin says CSTO bloc has developed contacts with ‘natural partners’

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Collective Security Treaty Organization’s (CSTO) contacts with its “natural partners” such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have developed, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

Addressing the military alliance's Collective Security Council meeting in Minsk, Putin said the Belarusian chairmanship and members actively worked to strengthen ties within the bloc in the past year.

Expressing that it was done based on the “principles of respect and consideration of each other’s interests,” Putin said positions on current political and military-strategic issues, as well as pressing problems on the regional and international agenda, were agreed upon through interaction at various levels.

“I would especially note the joint efforts being made to improve the collective rapid deployment and operational response forces, aviation and peacekeeping forces of the CSTO,” he added.

The Russian leader said measures have been taken by the bloc to maintain combat readiness, improve command and control systems and increase the training of military personnel, especially pointing out recent military exercises in Belarus and Kyrgyzstan.

“Cooperation between intelligence services and law enforcement agencies has been consistently strengthened,” he said, adding that he agreed with his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s assessment that their countries “do not accept terrorism in any of its manifestations and in any regions of the world.”

“It is very important that joint activities within the CSTO contribute to the unity of our states and peoples, preserving the memory of our common history and achievements,” he said, indicating that the next meeting is scheduled for December in St. Petersburg.

The CSTO is made up of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, along with Armenia and Belarus.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan did not attend the meeting.