‘Informal’ meeting of CSTO takes place in Astana

    An increase in the role of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CTSO), strengthening the Collective Rapid Response Forces and strengthening information security were the main focus of an informal CTSO summit held this past weekend in Astana. The summit involved Nursultan Nazarbayev, Dmitry Medvedev, Aleksandr Lukashenko, Roza Otunbayeva, Emomali Rahmon and Serzh Sargsyan. Nursultan Nazarbayev met his guests without a tie, which denoted the informality of the summit. There was no special agenda, a reflection of the complicated discussions required to meet the challenges of increasingly difficult and rapidly evolving regional challenges. The CSTO has the reputation of being an effective mechanism of support for the security of the post-Soviet area.
    
    “We understand that such informal meetings give us a possibility to discuss topical issues of our interaction,” said Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev. “Today, we have assembled to exchange opinions on such issues as global and regional risks for the security and stability of the CSTO states connected with the recent situation both in the world and the region, connected with the increase in the efficiency of our organization as well as tackling problems of relations between our states. We need to discuss the forthcoming withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan and corresponding issues, natural and man-made calamities. There is the growth in international terrorism threats, illegal weapon and drug smuggling. We also need to discuss a wide range of questions in the information security area.”
    
    The last informal CSTO summit happened in Kazakhstan two years ago. That meeting was truly historic, since the presidents decided to create the Collective Rapid Response Forces. Decisions that will be made at this meeting will gain legal power at the official CSTO summit, which will happen in December in Moscow, according to Caspionet.