ITAR-TASS, Russia
Sept 5 2008

CSTO leaders to discuss military and political situation in region

05.09.2008, 02.59

MOSCOW, September 5 (Itar-Tass) – The presidents of the Collective
Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) ` Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan ` will gather in Moscow
for a meeting of the CSTO supreme political body ` the Collective
Security Council (CSC).

The summit will examine `questions of improving further the
Organisation’s operation in ensuring security in the CSTO zone of
responsibility’, Itar-Tass learnt from a staff member of the Russian
president’s office.

`The summit plans to discuss trends for the development of the
military and political situation, including in the light of the events
in South Ossetia as well as measures to head off emerging threats to
collective security and results of implementing the decisions of the
Minsk (20060 and Dushanbe (2007) session of the Council,’ the Kremlin
source noted.

He stated, `It is planned to sign an impressive package of
documents’. `A Declaration, containing appraisals and approaches to
the most urgent world and regional problems, including the situation
in the Caucasus, will be of pivotal importance,’ the source explained.

`It is planned to approve a Plan for collective actions by the CSTO
states to implement the UN Global Counterterrorist Strategy for
2008-2012 and a Programme for Joint Actions on setting up a system of
information security of the CSTO states in the context of the policy
for boosting functional possibilities of the Organisation to respond
to new challenges and threats,’ the source said.

According to the Kremlin source, `it is also planned to take a CSC
decision `on additional measures to boost anti-drug operations within
the CSTO”.

The presidents `will also discuss progress in fulfilling the Plan for
coalition military construction, adjust the 2001 decision of the CSTO
Council on the Collective Rapid Deployment Force for the Central Asian
Collective Security Region and will approve a Provision on order of
drafting, funding and implementing targeted interstate CSTO
programmes’.

Apart from the above, the sides `will examine some organisational,
financial and economic questions on the operation of the CSTO
Secretariat’.

The Kremlin source noted that the presidency at all authorised CSTO
bodies would go from Kyrgyzstan to Armenia at this session.

The Collective Security Treaty (CST) was signed in Tashkent on May 15,
1992. The heads of the Treaty’s member states decided on May 14, 2002
to transform the CST into a full-fledged international organisation `
Collective Security Treaty Organisation.

Sessions of the Collective Security Council are called once a
year. The last meeting was held on October 6, 2007 in Dushanbe where
the heads of state signed a package of documents on peacekeeping
activities of the Organisation. The same meeting approved a protocol
on a mechanism of rendering military and technical aid to CSTO member
states in case of an emerging threat of aggression or a committed act
of aggression.