CSTO members begin joint session in Kyrgyzstan’s capital

A joint meeting of the foreign ministers, defence ministers, and security council secretaries from the member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) has opened in Bishkek.

The participants are set to discuss key areas of cooperation, including enhanced coordination in combating illegal drug trafficking and irregular migration, Caliber.Az reports via Kyrgyz media.

The agenda includes the adoption of a declaration addressing current security challenges. The session will also consider the nomination of Talatbek Masadykov from Kyrgyzstan for a three-year term as CSTO Secretary General.

The Collective Security Treaty was originally signed on May 15, 1992, in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) by the leaders of six CIS countries: Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Azerbaijan joined the treaty in September 1993, followed by Georgia and Belarus in December of the same year. The treaty officially came into force on April 20, 1994.

Initially concluded for five years with the option for renewal, the treaty was extended in 1999 when Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan signed a protocol prolonging its duration. This protocol established a revised membership and introduced automatic five-year renewals. Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Uzbekistan ended their participation at that time.

Until 2002, the treaty functioned primarily as a regional agreement that contributed significantly to maintaining military-political cooperation and mutual understanding among its members.

On May 14, 2002, member states decided to transform the treaty into a formal international regional organisation, uniting Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan under the CSTO framework. Uzbekistan’s membership was restored in June 2006, though it was suspended again in December 2012. Today, the CSTO comprises six countries: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.

By Tamilla Hasanova