CSTO members agree rules on use of new weapons

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) has endorsed a model agreement on cooperation among member states regarding the use of new types of weapons and technologies.

The move aims to strengthen collective security while ensuring compliance with international humanitarian law, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media. 

The decision was taken during a session of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly Council and a plenary assembly meeting.

The agreement covers joint planning and coordinated action in the use of new weapons and technologies, as well as shared funding, organisational, technical, economic, scientific, methodological, and informational support for their development and deployment.

It also calls for joint humanitarian and legal assessments of new weapons and technologies adopted by member states and deployed by national contingents within the CSTO’s collective forces.

Under the agreement, CSTO countries will conduct operations to combat the illegal circulation of new weapons and technologies, jointly develop standards to protect critical infrastructure, provide the alliance’s collective forces with new armaments, and exchange expertise on development, production, deployment, disposal, and protection against such weapons and technologies.

The document also clarifies that it does not limit CSTO members from entering into bilateral international agreements on the use of new weapons and technologies.

By Aghakazim Guliyev