CSTO: News and Developments

Collective Security Treaty Organization



The Collective Security Treaty Organization is an intergovernmental military alliance, acting as counterpart to the NATO alliance, which was signed on 15 May 1992. In 1992, six post-Soviet states belonging to the Commonwealth of Independent States—Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan—signed the Collective Security Treaty (also referred to as the "Tashkent Pact" or "Tashkent Treaty"). Three other post-Soviet states—Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Georgia—signed the next year and the treaty took effect in 1994. Five years later, six of the nine—all but Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Uzbekistan—agreed to renew the treaty for five more years, and in 2002 those six agreed to create the Collective Security Treaty Organization as a military alliance. Uzbekistan rejoined the CSTO in 2006 but withdrew in 2012.
The CSTO is an observer organization at the United Nations General Assembly.
The CSTO employs a "rotating presidency" system in which the country leading the CSTO alternates every year.


Current members:
Armenia
Belarus
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Russia
Tajikistan

Observers:
Afghanistan (2013)
Serbia (2013)

http://www.odkb.gov.ru/start/index_aengl.htm

Russia, Kyrgyzstan Sign Base Deal At CSTO Summit
August 01, 2009

The Russian and Kyrgyz presidents have tentatively agreed to establish a second Russian military base in Kyrgyzstan.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Kyrgyz counterpart Kurmanbek Bakiev signed the deal on the second day of an informal summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, or CSTO, a regional security grouping dominated by Moscow. The three-day summit opened on July 31 at the Kyrgyz lakeside resort of Cholpon-Ata.

Under the joint memorandum, Kyrgyzstan allows Russia to establish a military base on its territory for a period of up to 49 years. The document states that Russian forces will be charged with "protecting Kyrgyz sovereignty" and repelling attacks by international terrorist groups.

Moscow has said the planned base would operate under the umbrella of the CSTO.

A definitive agreement detailing the status of the proposed base is due to be signed by November.

This would be Russia's second base in the mountainous ex-Soviet republic. It already operates an air base in Kant, about 20 kilometers east of Kyrgyzstan's capital, Bishkek.

The memorandum said the size of the contingent could be up to a battalion but gave no specifics on the location of the new base.

Media reports suggest it could be deployed to Batken Province, near the border with Uzbekistan on the edge of the Ferghana Valley, a region that spreads across Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and has become a hotbed of Islamic militancy.

One potential obstacle to that location might come from Uzbek President Islam Karimov, who is thought to be opposed to the idea of having a Russian base close to his borders.

While Moscow may seek to turn an existing military facility near the southern city of Osh into its base, impoverished Kyrgyzstan reportedly wants the military base to be built from scratch using Russian money.

Kyrgyz rights campaigner Edil Baisalov told RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service that the Russian base could offer much-needed foreign investment.

"If the Russians want to come they should bring investment, develop the infrastructure, and help the CSTO and our army. They should build a new base. We should support this project," Baisalov said.

Rapid Reaction

Russia is not the only country seeking to boost its military presence in Kyrgyzstan.

The United States also operates an important air base in the Central Asian country that has been a key support to its operations in nearby Afghanistan.

In February, Bishkek announced plans to close the United States’ Manas base, but reversed its decision after Washington agreed to pay $180 million to keep it open.

With the Russian base deal signed, leaders of CSTO member states -- including Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan -- are now due to focus on the creation of a NATO-style rapid reaction force.

A preliminary agreement to create the force was signed at the last CSTO summit in June.

Belarus, however, has yet to sign the deal, as it snubbed the June summit amid a politically charged trade dispute with longtime ally Russia.


Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/Russia_Kyrgyzstan_Sign_Base_Deal_At_CSTO_Summit/1790351.html

CSTO leaders agree on rapid reaction forces

* Source: Xinhua

Leaders of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) signed an agreement to establish joint rapid reaction forces on Sunday, news agencies reported.

"The document that has been signed includes an agreement on collective forces and a decision by the Collective Security Council on the rapid-reaction force structure," Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency as saying.

The new forces will consist of large military units from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, RIA Novosti said.

Those military units will be armed with modern compatible weapons and military hardware, said the Itar-Tass news agency.

The document also includes a number of action plans for the CSTO members for the period until 2012.

The forces, which Medvedev said "will be just as good as comparable NATO forces," are expected to counter such threats as military aggression, terrorist activities, trans-border crimes and drug trafficking.

Two CSTO member states, Belarus and Uzbekistan, did not sign the document, since Uzbekistan "has some doubts" and Belarus "does not attend this summit," the Itar-Tass quoted Medvedev as saying.

Yet Medvedev believed the two countries will eventually sign the agreement.

The CSTO rotating presidency, originally to be assumed by Belarus, has been passed over to Russia temporarily, he said.

Earlier in the day, Belarus said its delegations would not attend the CSTO meeting since Russia has banned almost all imports of dairy products from Belarus.

The CSTO, a security group comprising Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, agreed in early February to form rapid reaction forces.

Kazakh parliament ratifies deal on post-Soviet rapid reaction force

RIA Novosti

04/02/201009:21

ASTANA, February 4 (RIA Novosti) - Kazakhstan's parliament ratified an agreement on Thursday on establishing a post-Soviet security group's rapid reaction force.

The creation of a powerful military contingent in former Soviet Central Asia by members of the Russian-dominated Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is seen as Moscow's bid to counterbalance NATO. But its formation has run into problems caused by the regional rivalries of some members.

Speaking at a plenary session, the Central Asian state's defense minister, Bolat Sembinov, said the rapid reaction force is designed "to improve the security of the CSTO members against the backdrop of existing and potential threats," including terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, natural disasters and to enhance the organization's role in ensuring international security.

The CSTO comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Observer status is enjoyed by Iran, India, Mongolia and Pakistan.

Five of the seven members signed the agreement in February 2009. Belarus, which initially refrained from signing the deal because of a trade dispute with Russia, joined it later last year.

Uzbekistan has so far refused to join the force, saying it opposes stronger Russia's role in Central Asia. Uzbekistan is also at odds with regional neighbor Kyrgyzstan, which hosts a Russian airbase.

The Collective Rapid Reaction Force held two-week military exercises in southern Kazakhstan in October 2009, with more than 7,000 personnel from Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan taking part.

Russia's security strategy until 2020, recently approved by President Dmitry Medvedev, envisions the CSTO as "a key mechanism to counter regional military challenges and threats."

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2010/02/mil-100204-rianovosti04.htm

Lukashenko calls for internet vigilance

RIA Novosti
16:59 26/10/2011
MINSK, October 26 (RIA Novosti)
Tags: Internet, CSTO, Alexander Lukashenko, Minsk, Belarus

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko called on Wednesday on Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states to coordinate their activities in fighting cyber attacks.

“Attempts are being made in cyberspace to destabilize the situation in various countries,” Lukashenko said at a meeting of CSTO member states.

He cited the recent uprisings in the Arab world, and said an attempt had also been made to destabilize the situation in Belarus vie social networks.

“We have got to know how to fight against this evil,” Lukashenko said.

He also said that while Belarus did not intend to close down the internet, restriction could be imposed.

The CSTO includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

http://www.en.ria.ru/mlitary_news/20111026/168135674.html

What is happening with Uzbekistan? Why Karimov constantly switch sides between Russia and West?

Napoleon complex.

He wants to get the best possible deal so he tries to play one off against the other.

Once the US pulls out of Afghanistan however their interest in the region will suddenly fall to fairly low levels, and of course if he gets things too far wrong he could end up alienating both groups.

Uzbekistan Bans Foreign Military Bases

Uzbekistan has said it will not host any foreign military bases or other military objects on its soil, Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov said on Thursday before the Senate.

"There will be no foreign military bases or [military] objects in Uzbekistan," Kamilov said, adding that there would be no "operative groups" allowed either in the Central Asian country.
Uzbekistan’s lower house of Parliament in September passed President Islam Karimov's new foreign policy strategy, which rules out Tashkent’s membership in any military alliances and bans foreign military bases on Uzbek territory, Central Asian Fergana News Agency reported.
Uzbekistan, which did not have a specific foreign policy document until recently, rejects any membership in military alliances and “reserves its right to quit an interstate coalition if it turns into a military alliance,” Fergana quoted the foreign policy strategy as saying.
According to the document, Uzbekistan would not host foreign military bases on its territory, a fact that would alleviate the concerns Russia has had over Tashkent’s possible cooperation with NATO ever since Uzbekistan suspended membership in the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in late June.
The Uzbek foreign policy strategy also states that the country will not participate in any military campaigns abroad, according to Fergana news.

http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20120830/175513788.html

Kyrgyzstan Revises Agreements on Russian Military Bases

BISHKEK, September 11 (RIA Novosti) – The Kyrgyz parliament has started hearings on the revision of agreements determining the status and maintenance of Russian military facilities located on the territory of the Central Asian state.

Moscow and Bishkek signed in August a new deal, which extends the presence of Russian military facilities in Kyrgyzstan for another 15 years. Their status is currently regulated by five intergovernmental agreements.

“Russia has proposed to combine all previous agreements in one to facilitate the regulation process,” Kyrgyz Deputy Defense Minister Zamir Suyerkulov told lawmakers at a parliamentary session on Monday.

“The new status agreement should come into force in 2017,” he said.

Kyrgyzstan hosts a Russian airbase in Kant, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) outside the capital, Bishkek, a naval communications center in the village of Chaldovar in the Chui region, a naval testing site near the city of Karakol, 380 km (240 miles) from Bishkek, and a radioseismic laboratory in Mailuu-Sai, which is part of the unified automated system designed to detect the testing and use of nuclear weapons around the world, as well as earthquakes.

The Kant airbase works in the interests of the Collective Security Treaty Organization - a regional security body.

Russia pays $4.5 million annually to use these military installations.


http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20120911/175888889.html

Moscow, Bishkek clinch army base deal

Moscow and Bishkek have signed a set of agreements on energy cooperation and on the presence of a Russian military base in Kyrgyzstan.

Presidents Vladimir Putin and Almazbek Atambayev put their signatures under the documents during the signing ceremony in Bishkek on Thursday.

The construction of the Kambarata-1 hydropower plant and the Upper Naryn Cascade in partnership with Russia will enable Kyrgyzstan to fully cover its electricity needs. The base agreement has been signed for 15 years and will take effect in 2017.

The sides settled the issue of Kyrgyzstan’s debt to Russia, which currently totals $500 million.

The Presidents of Russia and Kyrgyzstan, Vladimir Putin and Almazbek Atanbayev have met in Bishkek to negotiate bilateral issues.

Mr. Atanbayev described Russia as his country’s major strategic partner.

The two countries are going to sign six landmark agreements, including the one on building a hydroelectric power plant on the Naryn River and setting up the United Russian military base in Kyrgyzstan.

http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_09_20/Moscow-Bishkek-clinch-army-base-deal/

Kyrgyz Air Base May Soon Host Russian Strategic Bombers

The overhauled airfield at the Russian air base in Kyrgyzstan will be able to accommodate Russian strategic bombers in six months, but their deployment in the Central Asian state needs thorough consideration, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said.

“Technically, we will complete the reconstruction [of the runway at the Kant airbase] in half a year,” Serdyukov told reporters on Friday.

“It means that, in theory, the airfield will be able to receive our strategic aircraft in six months, but any actual landing of these aircraft is a move that should be considered thoroughly," he said.

Moscow and Bishkek signed in August a new deal, which extends the presence of Russian military facilities in Kyrgyzstan, including a Russian airbase in Kant, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) outside the capital, Bishkek, for another 15 years.

The Kant airbase operates in the interests of the Collective Security Treaty Organization - a regional security body.

The base was established in October 2003, and currently hosts about 700 servicemen, as well as several Su-25 Frogfoot attack aircraft and Su-27 Flanker fighters, two Mi-8 combat transport helicopters, and four L-39 combat trainers.

Russia pays $4.5 million annually to rent its military facilities in Kyrgyzstan.

Meanwhile, Bishkek has confirmed plans to close a U.S. air base used to fly troops in and out of Afghanistan after Washington's lease expires in 2014.

http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20120922/176152844.html

Russia, Tajikistan Close to Signing New Military Base Deal

Russia and Tajikistan are “very close” to signing an agreement extending Russia’s lease of a military base in the Central Asian state, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said.

Talks on the extension of the lease, which expires in 2014, came into a deadlock earlier this year as the sides could not agree on the length of the new lease and the payment terms.

“I can say that the main issues have either been resolved or are close to being resolved,” Shuvalov told reporters on Friday after a meeting with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.

“There will be no unresolved issues left after the expert reports to the presidents have been submitted…The final decision will be made by the presidents because without their political will these issues can never be settled,” Shuvalov said.

A total of 7,000 Russian troops are stationed at three military facilities collectively known as the 201st military base - in Dushanbe, the southwestern city of Qurgonteppa some 100 km from Dushanbe, and Kulob, about 200 km to the southwest of the capital.

The base was opened in 2004 and hosts Russia’s largest military contingent deployed abroad.

Moscow planned to extend the lease of the base for 49 years, but Dushanbe proposed to cut the extension to 10 years. Tajik authorities also demanded that Russia pay at least $250 million a year for the lease.

Under the current agreements Russia does not pay Tajikistan for its military base, but renders the country military and technical assistance.

Shuvalov did not specify the terms of the new agreement.

http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20120922/176149317.html

Half the problem with CSTO politics is shown above... no foreign bases on our soil... we are prepared to negotiate regarding foreign bases on our soil... we look forward to country x basing forces on our soil in return for national debt relief.

Personally I think they should make deals like "we will supply your military with the stuff we are withdrawing from service... we will give it an upgrade first so that it is still better than what you already have, and if you want contracts to upgrade the rest of your stuff we can talk about that, and we promise only to give you stuff that works and is not totally worn out and useless unless you want it for parts" "In return we will keep a small force in x base whose role will be to train local forces and support local forces with a variety of jobs they might have including border patrol and cracking down on drug smugglers etc.

"We will keep the bases relatively small, and every ten years or so we will move them to a new location, leaving the old base for local forces to use as they wish."

Pull our troops out, give them the middle finger and don't pay a dime.
Kazakhstan and Belarus can be exceptions.

CSTO integrates military industry

Russia’s State Duma has ratified two agreements on CSTO military cooperation. The first package envisages retaining the specialization of CSTO military producers while the second regulates intergovernmental scientific and production associations.

The defense industries of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia rest on the common Soviet-time basis, thus, many CSTO military manufacturers are bound with contracts, says deputy head of the State Duma CIS Affairs Committee Tatyana Moskalkova.

"Today, 46 Belarusian organizations supply spare parts for 65 Russian military companies in line with the Russia-Belarus agreement while 63 Russian plants deliver their production to 28 Belarusian organizations. Practically all CSTO countries are interconnected with similar deals, therefore, a regulatory base is required to preserve the existing business ties in CSTO countries and boost the emergence of new military-industrial unions."

Defense issues are the most subtle ones in intergovernmental cooperation as most of them deal with state secrets. CSTO countries need a new legal basis for successful military integration, that’s what the recently adopted packages of measures target, says Russia’s Deputy Trade and Industry Minister Igor Karavayev.

"The measures regulate material and raw material supplies, quality control of military imports, information exchange and exchange and protection of state secrets."

New agreements are in the interest of all CSTO countries says political analyst from the Institute for National Strategic Studies Yury Solozobov.

"When we lacked a single military space, we feared that our technology could leak to a third country, including some unpredictable regimes. The two agreements guarantee data protection and create a long-term basis to enhance collective security in general and in CSTO countries in particular. This, certainly, benefits all CSTO countries. We have the Soviet-created military basis and new market and innovation-oriented experts."

The agreements have been already ratified by all CSTO countries and are valid for the time of the CSTO operation.

http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_09_28/CSTO-integrates-military-industry/

CSTO drills start in Kazakhstan

The joint military drills of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) ‘Unbreakable Brotherhood-2012’ start in Kazakhstan on Monday. The drills are to last till October 17.

The exercises will be conducted in two rounds, including organizational measures to form a unified command and elaborating practical issues on settling peacekeeping tasks.

The CSTO comprises Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.



http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_10_08/CSTO-drills-start-in-Kazakhstan/

CSTO eyes peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan after 2014

The Collective Security Treaty Organization, CSTO, is considering involvement in joint peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan after the ISAF coalition force pulls out of the Asian country in 2014.

This came in a statement by CSTO Deputy Secretary-General, Valery Semerikov.

According to him, whether the decision to that end will be made or not will depend on the situation that will take shape in Afghanistan.

He also said that the Organization has set up a working group to assess the situation in Afghanistan and is making efforts to localize drug trafficking and fortify borders.

The CSTO comprises Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.



http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_10_09/CSTO-eyes-peacekeeping-operations-in-Afghanistan-after-2014/

Putin signs law on CSTO arms industry associations

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into force a fresh law laying groundwork for creation of arms industry associations within the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Kremlin said today.

A federal legislation was approved by Russia’s State Duma on September 28 and by the Federation Council on October 10.

The agreement lays out the rules of setting up integrated science and production associations by CSTO member nations to cooperate in joint development of arms and military equipment, coordinating both its renovation, revamps and disposal.

Participants of these associations will also be able to export jointly-built military equipment to other CSTO countries.

A tighter cooperation between CSTO members in the field of arms production will be instrumental in improving its quality, implementing military policies and facilitating military cooperation between the member states, while also dealing with cases of unjustified competition and supporting production facilities, which will form a part of these associations.

http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_10_18/Putin-signs-law-on-CSTO-arms-industry-associations/

Russia to Open Airbase in Belarus Within Months

MOSCOW, June 26 (RIA Novosti) – Russia is opening an airbase in northwestern Belarus, near the Polish and Lithuanian borders, within just a few months, a Russian Air Force general said Wednesday.

The airbase, modern Russia’s first on Belarusian soil, will consolidate bilateral defense collaboration as part of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, Russian Air Force chief Lieutenant General Viktor Bondarev told reporters.

Located in Lida, a city of nearly 100,000, the base will be an important element in the “strategic defense of the Union State,” the two-star general said, adding that Russian Su-27SM3 fighter jets would be stationed there.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in May that the base was not being set up in response to deployment of a US missile shield in Europe that has been strongly opposed by Russia.

However, Moscow has also taken issue with NATO jets flying combat air patrols close to Russian airspace. Belarus borders NATO nations Poland, Latvia and Lithuania.

Russia to Upgrade Its Bases in Armenia

YEREVAN, June 27 (RIA Novosti) – Russian military bases in Armenia will be modernized and upgraded, Armenia’s top national security official said Thursday.

Modernization of Russia’s 102nd Military Base at Gyumri, in northern Armenia near its border with Turkey, and the airbase at Yerevan’s Erebuni Airport will begin this year and continue for several years, Artur Bagdasaryan, head of the National Security Council, said after a meeting with Nikolai Bordyuzha, general secretary of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), an intergovernmental military alliance of former Soviet states.

Bordyuzha said the CSTO’s scope would be augmented to include special operations forces and a collective air force, designed to “defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of CSTO member states.”

The CSTO includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.

A senior Russian military official said last year Russia would double the number of contract personnel at its Gyumri base while permanent staff numbers would remain at the current 5,000.

In 2010, the lease on the base was extended through 2044. The base is part of the air defense system of the post-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States and is home to S-300 anti-aircraft missiles and Mikoyan MiG-29 fighters.

Russia has repeatedly said the presence of that base in the republic does not violate any international agreements or upset the balance of forces in the region.

Armenia Says It's Ready to Host Russian Combat Helicopters


YEREVAN, November 21 (RIA Novosti) – Armenia will allocate additional space at the Erebuni air base to host a Russian helicopter squadron being formed to strengthen the Russian air contingent in the former Soviet state, Armenia’s deputy defense minister said Thursday.

Russia’s 3624th Air Base at Erebuni Airport in Yerevan currently hosts at least 16 MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter jets operating under air defense agreements concluded between the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

“The Russian base will be given additional space to host helicopter pads, administrative buildings and fuel-storage facilities,” Ara Nazaryan said at a government meeting.

Nazaryan said the Russian squadron at the Erebuni base would comprise 18 helicopters, but did not specify what type. He also said the squadron was expected to arrive by the end of this month.

The Erebuni air base is part of Russia’s 102nd military base located in Gyumri, near Armenia’s border with Turkey.

The 102nd base has been deployed in Gyumri since 1995 under a bilateral treaty that was extended in 2010 from 25 to 49 years, ensuring a Russian military presence in Armenia through 2044.

Artur Bagdasaryan, head of Armenia’s National Security Council, said in June that Russian military bases in Armenia will be modernized and upgraded over the next few years.

Russia-Led Security Bloc Plans to Spend $1Bln on Weaponry

Nice!

CSTO: Our 2014 Priorities Don't Include Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan Tension

The Collective Security Treaty Organization, Russia's post-Soviet security bloc, has laid out its priorities for the upcoming year, and it appears that the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan conflict -- the year's most pressing security issue -- remains low on the agenda.

On January 21, CSTO General Secretary Nikolay Bordyuzha gave a press conference in Moscow with the intention of summarizing the organization's goals for 2014. And tellingly, the CSTO's official account of the event contains no mention of the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan conflict. He did, however, speak about it. A report in the Russian official military newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda said that Bordyuzha "spoke out against the use of force by CSTO units for the settlement of the conflict between member states of the organization. Speaking of the recent Tajik-Kyrgyz border incident, he expressed the opinion that this is an issue between the two countries and no one, except for them, can resolve it."

And according to ITAR-TASS, Boryuzha said that the organization's involvement has been limited to phone consultations: "We are in constant contact with the heads of government, discussed measures for the containment of this conflict. Today there remain several unresolved questions such as the closure of checkpoints from the Kyrgyz side and the presence on the border of military forces of both republics," he said.

The most detailed remarks on the subject were carried by Kyrgyzstan newspaper Vecherniy Bishkek, which talked to CSTO press secretary Vladimir Zainetdinov:

Neither from Kyrgyzstan nor from Tajikistan was there an appeal to the CSTO in connection with the events. These countries are carrying out joint investigations and are undertaking efforts so that similar events don't occur again.

Of course, the events can't not cause alarm... And in these days Bordyuzha has already had telephone conversations with the leadership of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan about containing the conflict and the lowering of border tensions, and continues to stay in contact with them. The CSTO has proposed measures for the lowering of tension which are today possible without any sort of orders from the CSTO.

Regrettably, Zainetdinov didn't specify those proposed measures.

Bordyuzha's stated 2014 priorities of the CSTO contained nothing the organization hadn't already discussed: aid to Tajikistan to help protect the border with Afghanistan, establishment of joint military forces, including air forces, and so on. One concrete "achievement" from 2013: The CSTO shut down 400 "information resources" (presumably mostly websites) for espousing terrorism or extremism.

The Bug Pit asked one of Russia's leading scholars on the CSTO, Yulia Nikitina, for her thoughts on the organization's inaction on the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border. She said that while border conflicts between member states are outside the organization's official mandate, The CSTO is nevertheless missing a chance to prove itself viable:

When a more or less serious inter- or intrastate armed clash happens in Central Asia, experts usually blame the CSTO for not intervening.The point is that the CSTO usually does not have to interfere because legally it has to have an official request from a suffering member-state. But even if there was such a request, the CSTO was not designed to deal with internal security issues or conflicts between member-states. The CSTO is an organization aimed at external threats like external aggression, or threats coming from Afghan territory (drug trafficking, extremism), or illegal migration from third countries (like China or Iran). Simply there is no other security organization in Central Asia, that is why it is the only reference in expert comments.

Despite all abovementioned factors, I think that still in case of the conflict between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan the CSTO could test its peacekeeping capabilities by sending a small contingent of peacekeepers to separate sides of the conflict. An agreement between the Tajik and Kyrgyz border guard services was reached, so if there would be a request from both states, a CSTO operation would clearly correspond to classic UN Chapter VI peacekeeping principles that is fixed in the CSTO peacekeeping documents. Such a rather legally and politically safe operation would demonstrate that the CSTO is a viable regional actor in conflict management and later it could serve as an argument in developing further cooperation between the CSTO and the UN in the peacekeeping sphere. The CSTO would like to take part in UN-mandated peacekeeping operations but there seem to be not so much interest from the UN and no legal framework to engage the CSTO as an organization.

While it's true that this sort of thing isn't what the CSTO was designed for, the more security problems that arise that it is not equipped to deal with, and the more it focuses on less likely threats like Afghan spillover and color revolutions, the more people and governments in Central Asia will be asking "What, exactly, is the point of this organization?"

CSTO foreign ministers pass resolutions on Afghanistan, Syria
03.04.2014 18:25

MOSCOW, 3 April (BelTA) – The Council of ministers of foreign affairs of the Collective Security Treaty Organization member states has passed resolutions on the situation in Afghanistan and Syria. A session of the Council took place in Moscow on 3 April. Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei took part in the session, BelTA has learned.

After the session Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told media that participants of the session had shared opinions regarding topical international security problems, including those in the CSTO responsibility area. Close attention was paid to the coordination of foreign policies. In particular, the ministers signed a plan for consultations of representatives of CSTO member states to discuss foreign policy, security, and defense matters in H2 2014 – H1 2015. The plan includes over 20 events.

Apart from that, the CSTO foreign ministers okayed a list of topics for the CSTO member states to make joint statements on in the United Nations Organization, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and other international bodies. Sergei Lavrov said the resolution on Afghanistan was one of the documents. In his words, the resolution evaluates the situation in Afghanistan and outlines steps to neutralize the threats originating from the Afghanistan territory.

Another resolution was passed on 3 April in view of the escalating situation in Syria’s northwest. Sergei Lavrov remarked that the CSTO member states believe in stopping the terrorist threat in the Syrian territory without delay.

The Russian Foreign Minister also remarked that at the session the sides shared views regarding the situation in Ukraine. In his words, participants of the session spoke in favor of the need to suppress activities of radicals and disarm illegal militant groups. Sergei Lavrov noted that the Ukrainian government is working on it but the measures should be more persistent.

In turn, Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Nikolai Bordyuzha added that during the discussion about the situation in the CSTO responsibility area and neighboring areas participants of the session acknowledged it is necessary to step up contacts with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, enable direct contacts with authorities of all levels in Afghanistan, and more actively cooperate with China in security matters.