Tajik FM, CSTO SG discuss implementation of decisions taken by CSTO Security Council last month

According to the CSTO press center, Zas informed Muhriddin of the progress of implementation of decisions taken the CSTO summit last month. 

Tajik minister, for his part, informed CSTO secretary-general of priorities of Tajikistan’s rotating presidency in the Organization during the inter-sessional period this year.  

Recall, Tajikistan holds the rotating CSTO presidency this year.  In a statement delivered at a virtual session of the CSTO summit, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon on December 2 outlined the priorities of Tajikistan in the next inter-sessional period.  Tajik leader, in particular, underlined the country’s readiness to continue activities aimed at expansion of interaction between CSTO member nations to provide security and peaceful life of nationals of the CSTO member countries.  He also noted that during its chairmanship in the Organization, Tajikistan intends to focus on further support for expansion of political collaboration, continuation of work on expansion of military and technical cooperation as well as intensification of CSTO cooperation with international and regional organizations.

The regional security organization was initially formed in 1992 for a five-year period by the members of the CIS Collective Security Treaty (CST) -- Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, which were joined by Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Belarus the following year.  A 1994 treaty reaffirmed the desire of all participating states to abstain from the use or threat of force, and prevented signatories from joining any “other military alliances or other groups of states” directed against members states.  The CST was then extended for another five-year term in April 1999, and was signed by the presidents of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.  In October 2002, the group was renamed as the CSTO.  Uzbekistan that suspended its membership in 1999 returned to the CSTO again in 2006 after it came under international criticism for its brutal crackdown of antigovernment demonstrations in the eastern city of Andijon in May 2005.  On June 28, 2012, Uzbekistan announced that it has suspended its membership of the CSTO, saying the organization ignores Uzbekistan and does not consider its views.  The CSTO is currently an observer organization at the United Nations General Assembly.