CSTO, UN sign declaration of cooperation

March 18, 2010 - 18:13 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The UN and CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization), a post-Soviet security group, signed on Thursday a declaration of cooperation between their secretariats.

The document was signed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and CSTO General Secretary Nikolai Bordyuzha.

Mr. Ban said the declaration is an important step for the UN to consolidate cooperation with regional organizations.

The CSTO, which is made up of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, has held observer status at the UN since 2004.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow is interested in closer cooperation with the UN through the CSTO, especially in combating serious problems like drugs trafficking, especially from Afghanistan.

"Drugs trafficking has emerged as a threat to both regional and international peace and security," he said.

Russia has repeatedly called for the CSTO's peacekeeping potential to be used more widely.

Russian business daily Kommersant said UN-CSTO cooperation might cover such areas as conflict prevention and resolution, terrorism, international crime and arms trafficking.

The Russian Ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, said the declaration has both practical and political significance for the CSTO, completing the creation of "a political and legal framework between the two organizations."

Russia's national security strategy describes the CSTO as "a key mechanism for countering regional military challenges and threats", RIA Novosti reported.

CSTO

The Collective Security Treaty Organization, formed under the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States, serves as a mutual defense alliance among Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The Collective Security Treaty (CST) was signed on May 15, 1992 for five-year term, with the possibility of prolongation. On December 2, 2004 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Resolution to grant the observer status to the Collective Security Treaty Organization in the General Assembly of the United Nations. The goal of the Collective Security Treaty Organization is to strengthen peace and international and regional security and stability and to ensure collective protection of independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Member States, in the attainment of which Member States shall give priority to political methods. On February 4, 2009, the CSTO leaders approved formation of Collective Rapid Reaction Force (RRF).