C.S.T.O. TO INCREASE THE ACTIVENESS OF ITS WORK IN ALL DIRECTIONS
Gevorg Haroutyunyan

Hayots Ashkharh Daily
11 Dec 2008
Armenia

The secretaries of the security councils of the member states of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization convened the regular session
of their committee on December 9-10. Yesterday afternoon the whole
staff of the committee had a meeting with the journalists.

The opening speech was made by ARTHUR BAGHDASARYAN, Head of
the Committee of Secretaries. Mr. Baghdasaryan said that the two
working days of the regular session of the committee had been quite
effective. "We made several important decisions. The important thing is
that the CSTO Security Council will work with increased effectiveness
and continue developing its functions.

In particular, during the sessions we were familiarized with CSTO
Secretary General Nikolay Brodyuzha’s report on the activities carried
out over the past year. It is obvous that the Collective Security
Treaty organization is strengthening further and extending the scope
of its activities.

We also discussed the issue of establishing a center directing its
activities towards the elimination of the new challenges and threats
and coordinating the counterbalances. We attached primary importance
to the fight against terrorism and extremism and the counter-balance to
drug trafficking. We also attached importance to the measures ensuring
informational security. We agreed to create collective forces combating
terrorism throughout the region, as well as set up emergency groups."

A. Baghdasaryan also said that by the proposal of Secretary of the
RF Security Council Nikolay Patroushev, the statement of the security
councils of the CSTO member states was discussed and adopted. In this
connection, Mr.

Patroushev reminded that during his visit to France, President of
the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev submitted an initiative on
signing a European Security Treaty.

And with the purpose of fixing the five principles underlined by
the RF President, a relevant statement was adopted on behalf of
the CSTO member states. "Guided by the clauses of the declaration
adopted during the Moscow session of the CSTO Security Council, we
reiterate our support to the initiatives of the Russian Federation for
signing a European Security Treaty as a legally binding document. The
documents will give us the opportunity to create a united and reliable
Euro-Atlantic collective security system.

Underlining the importance of elaborating this document, the CSTO
member states welcome and attach significance to the Russian-French
initiative of convening a pan-European summit with the participation
of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),
Commonwealth of Independent State (CIS), Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO) the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) and discussing th e prospects of the architecture
of security.

The CSTO Secretary General underlined that the member states of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization do not pursue any goal for
extending their staff and have not discussed the question on the
membership of new states.

"At the same time, it should be noted that apart from the 7 member
states, there are also 22 countries participating in the CSTO security
programs. Therefore, the CSTO is becoming a nucleus or a specific
kind of centre ensuring security. This factor has become especially
significant after the August developments. Therefore, we will increase
the activeness of our work in all directions."