DUSHANBE, 02.12.2020 (NIAT Khovar) – The Founder of Peace and National Unity, Leader of the Nation, President of Tajikistan Emomali #Rahmon took part in the meeting of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, via a video link. The meeting was hosted by Russia, which holds the rotating CSTO presidency this year.

The Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Acting President of Kyrgyzstan Talant Mamytov, President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation Stanislav Zas took part in the meeting.

The Chairman of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, Speaker of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Volodin also attended the meeting.

The state of international security and issues of further improvement of CSTO efficiency, implementation of decisions of the CSTO session and statutory bodies of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in the inter-sessional period and CSTO priority areas during Tajikistan’s presidency as well as development and strengthening of inter-parliamentary cooperation of CSTO member states were included in the agenda.

In his address, President Emomali Rahmon noted Russia’s commendable effort to continue the stable work of the organization in today’s difficult environment, when the world is facing an unprecedented surge of challenges and threats.

President Rahmon highlighted the various socioeconomic difficulties that international community and CSTO member nations have faced due to the coronavirus pandemic, especially negative effects leading to an increase in higher unemployment and endangering food security.

In addition, the upward trend in global threats of terrorism, extremism, various forms of radicalism and transnational organized crime, including drug trafficking were also noted. In this regard, President Rahmon stressed the importance of strengthening the CSTO collective force to effectively counter security threats and challenges.

In connection with the transfer of the chairmanship of the CSTO to Tajikistan, President Rahmon underlined the readiness of our country to continue activities aimed at the expansion of interaction between CSTO member nations to ensure a safe and tranquil life of CSTO member nations.

The importance of further coordination of activities of special services in combating cyber-crime and implementation of the CSC on preparing a single list of organizations designated by the CSTO as terrorist ones was also noted.

Rahmon also touched upon the issues related to the situation along the southern border of the CSTO area of responsibility, the latest developments in Afghanistan and the overhanging drug threat. He outlined Tajikistan’s priority areas in its presidency in 2021 and noted that Tajikistan intends to focus on further support for the expansion of political collaboration, military and technical cooperation, intensification of CSTO cooperation with international and regional organizations, and proposed to create a mechanism of cooperation for medical and biological security.

Following session, the Collective Security Declaration and the Statement of the CSTO Collective Security Council on creating a just and sustainable world order were adopted and a number of important document were signed aimed at further strengthening cooperation between the member nations.