The North Atlantic Alliance countries do not like the development of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview for a documentary, headlined "CSTO Allies - 30 Years on Guard of Collective Security."
"The CSTO will develop depending on the needs that really arise in practical life. Not everyone likes the development of the organization, and our NATO colleagues do not like it either," he said.
The minister reminded that since the mid-2000s, the CSTO had been proposing to NATO to establish mechanisms of consultations, exchange of information, cooperation in various fields of security maintenance in the Euro-Atlantic region, first of all within the OSCE framework, including at the level of presidents of its member states.
"The NATO members - they continue to treat the other countries and structures arrogantly - ignored these appeals. Now there is a heated discussion on how to implement the decisions of the OSCE summits on the indivisibility of security. This is one of the fundamental questions we are asking. The formula of the indivisibility of security, which has the signatures of all presidents and heads of governments of NATO member countries, among other things, means the rejection of attempts by any country, group of countries or any organization to claim a dominant role in the Euro-Atlantic region," he continued.
Lavrov stressed that NATO with all its vitality does exactly what is forbidden and what its members have pledged not to do. "We are asking these questions of our interlocutors because in addition to the obligation not to strengthen anyone's security at the expense of the security of others, everyone has committed not to allow any structure, in this case NATO, to claim exclusivity in events and security processes in the Euro-Atlantic. We will press for these answers. It is not just a matter of promises, signatures and then do as they want. That is why the CSTO should act as a factor providing balance in the Euro-Atlantic," he said.
Lavrov expressed confidence that the CSTO's authority will grow as discussions and initiatives regarding security in the region advance.
According to the minister, the CSTO makes maximum use of the experience of other international organizations, including in the field of peacekeeping.
"It is important that we try to make maximum use of the experience of other international organizations, including in the field of peacekeeping. There are agreements between the CSTO and the CIS, between the CSTO and the SCO," he said. - "A trilateral agreement was signed in Moscow between the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the CIS counter-terrorism center, and the regional counter-terrorism structure of the SCO".
In addition, Lavrov noted that the CSTO is establishing ties with various international organizations. "Relations have been stabilized and established with the UN, with the Department for Peacekeeping Operations. There are contacts with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, with the OSCE. Contacts are being established with the African Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations," he added.
According to the minister, "the international authority of the CSTO is evidence of the organization's achievements and the recognition of its effectiveness.
Lavrov stressed that during the work of the CSTO "a lot has been achieved, especially in terms of using the organization's capabilities to solve everyday problems. "After all, in addition to the aggression manifested in Kazakhstan, there are also everyday threats that are not related to interstate flows of terrorists and extremists. Questions relating to the strengthening of borders, solving the problems of migration, illegal migration, which is very often manifested with us especially on the southern borders of the CSTO in the countries of Central Asia, drug trafficking and much more," he pointed out.
Lavrov also drew attention to the variety of mechanisms that are laid down in the CSTO in case of crisis situations. "This includes the collective rapid deployment forces. They were created quite a long time ago to respond to various threats in the Central Asian region, in the organization's area of responsibility," he explained. - There are also collective rapid reaction forces, which include a significant special forces component from all the members of our organization. There are collective peacekeeping forces, which are developed on the basis of an agreement signed by the CSTO member states.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Public Domain/Collective Security Treaty Organization
Based on materials from TASS