CSTO MEMBER STATES SIGN AGREEMENT ON CREATING COLLECTIVE FORCES OF OPERATIVE REACTION

ARMENPRESS
JUNE 15, 2009
MOSCOW

MOSCOW, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS: Session of the heads of the member-states
of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) took place
in Moscow June 14 with the participation of the presidents of
Russia, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan. The
participants of the session discussed more than 20 issues. President
of Belarus did not take part in the session.

The delegation headed by the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
consisted of National Security Council Arthur Baghdasaryan, Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandyan, Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan, deputy
head of staff of the president Vigen Sargsyan, Armenian ambassador
to Russia Armen Smbatyan.

During the session the presidents signed the agreement on collective
forces of operative reaction, affiliated documents which define the
status of the forces, its activity, etc. The presidents also approved
the annual report of the CSTO Secretary General, Armenia’s (as CSTO
chairing country) report on the military construction events during
its chairmanship.

At the extended meeting, presenting the signed documents, President
of Russia Dmitry Medvedev thanked for the effective work, expressing
hope that the adopted decisions will promote the creation of complete
forces. He said the countries which did not join the decisions may
review their approaches.

At a joint press conference with President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan,
Dmitry Medvedev said that the created forces will give an opportunity
to more effectively confront the current challenges and threats –
international terrorism, local and regional crime, drug business. The
Russian president underscored exerting joint efforts inside of the
establishment for ensuring the security of the CSTO member-states.

D. Medvedev also thanked President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan for
effective work during the chairmanship of Armenia in the CSTO. Serzh
Sargsyan said that the creation of joint operative reaction collective
forces is the materialization of all those ideas which comprise the
basis of the CSTO. "I am sure that during the last year we fulfilled
a number of approved decisions."

As a result of the meeting a joint statement on a number of
international issues has been adopted.

During the summit the chairmanship of the CSTO must have been passed
to Belarus, but as the president of Belarus did not take part in the
summit because of economic issues with Russia, with joint decision
of participating countries Russia temporarily assumed the technical
chairmanship of the establishment.