Expansion of cooperation between OSCE and CSTO discussed in Vienna under Tajikistan chairmanship

Mr. Valery Semerikov, acting Secretary-General of the CSTO, Mr. Oleg Kravchenko, Head of the CSTO Division of the First Department of the CIS countries of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and Mr. Nosir Nazarzoda, Chief Researcher of the Institute of Asian and European Studies of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan have been invited to the plenary meeting as keynote speakers.

In a statement delivered at the meeting, Mr. Semerikov reportedly highlighted the current situation in Afghanistan, which has serious effect to the long-term stability and security, both in the CSTO and the OSCE regions.  He, in particular, noted that the “list of additional measures aimed at reducing tensions along the Tajik-Afghan border” was elaborated and prepared within the Organization and it is based on the set of measures proposed by the Member States with the aim to create a stability and security along Tajikistan’s common border with Afghanistan.  

The representative of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan based on the scientific analysis of the political developments in the region, as well as the common interests of the OSCE and the CSTO, presented concrete proposals for strengthening cooperation between the two organizations.

Taken into account the similarity of the issues tackled by the OSCE and the CSTO, the keynote speakers and the delegations of the participating states reportedly proposed to specify the areas of the joint interaction of the two organizations in Central Asia.