Events

MINSK, 23 September (BelTA) – President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko will take part in a meeting of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization on 23 September, BelTA learnt from the presidential press service.

The summiteers are expected to consider the issues related to the strengthening of military and technical cooperation between the CSTO member states. There are plans to take a close look at security issues in the CSTO region, elaborate and coordinate common approaches to respond to emerging threats and challenges. In particular, the participants of the meeting will focus on the situation at the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border, a possibility to provide military and technical assistance to Tajikistan border troops and helping the most troubled parts of the border.

The agenda will also include other issues of current international importance, foreign political coordination.

Besides, the summiteers are expected to discuss military cooperation between the CSTO member states through 2020. Among the issues selected for discussion are draft decisions on the CSTO Collective Air Forces, the CSTO collective forces command organization.

The participants of the meeting will also take stock of the progress made in the implementation of the decisions made at the December meeting of the Collective Security Council, the CSTO informal summit on 28 May 2013 in Bishkek and the implementation of the priority areas of the CSTO activity during Kyrgyzstan’s presidency in the organization in 2013.

In 2013 Belarus’ cooperation with the CSTO covers various areas including political and military areas, military and technical cooperation, counteraction to new challenges and threats. Belarus is hosting a joint military exercise with the CSTO collective rapid response forces Interaction 2013 as part of the Belarusian-Russian strategic exercise Zapad 2013.