MINSK, 24 May (BelTA) – Nikolai Bordyuzha who served as CSTO Secretary General in 2003-2017 has urged NATO to engage in a dialogue and cooperation. He made this statement as he spoke to reporters during the international forum “Eastern Europe: In Search of Security for All” in Minsk on 24 May, BelTA has learned.
“What matters most is that NATO top officials, first of all, those from the USA, come to realize that they need to engage in this dialogue, to start a discussion and act together instead of opposing each other,” Nikolai Bordyuzha noted.
According to him, the CSTO does not extend its reach to the countries that do not make part of the organization. “We are engaged in maintaining security solely in our countries. We do not claim a global role; we are not trying to sort out things in Libya, Syria or anywhere else. Thus, we cannot say that our sphere of influence spreads across the borders of the member states to other countries. Therefore, I believe that it does not make sense to oppose each other. Quite the opposite, we do the same thing – we maintain security of the states making part of either NATO or the CSTO. However, we do not interact. And this is very bad. Unfortunately, this is because of NATO. It does not come from our side,” Nikolai Bordyuzha noted.
“Many times we have suggested that NATO tackle the issues facing our peoples today. This includes efforts to normalize the situation in Afghanistan, war on drug trafficking and illegal migration. Unfortunately, it was not understood by our partners. However, I hope that this will eventually happen,” Nikolai Bordyuzha said.
He believes that the ongoing conference in Minsk proves again that a new dialogue is long overdue. “We see what is going on, how the situation is being escalated, how new military infrastructure is installed near the borders of Belarus and Russia. We see new tank forces and military contingents. We are witnessing a military buildup on the border. This can lead to only one thing: clash. Naturally, we need a dialogue, a discussion. We need to come down and focus on security of our nations, instead of pursuing political goals or containing some countries,” Nikolai Bordyuzha said.
