MOSCOW, 1 April (BelTA) – Deputy ministers of foreign affairs of the Collective Security Treaty Organization member states met in Moscow on 31 March to discuss preparations for April-May sessions of CSTO charter bodies , cooperation with third countries and international organizations. The development of public diplomacy was also discussed. Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Stanislav Zas took part in the consultations, BelTA has learned.
Participants of the meeting exchanged opinions about a broad range of matters concerning the role and the place of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in the modern world, popularization of the CSTO's work, and ways to enhance its standing. Since documents on the status of CSTO partners and observers came into force on 19 January 2021, close attention was paid to the establishment of cooperation with interested countries and international organizations.
During the meeting the CSTO secretary general noted that new opportunities are opening up for encouraging third countries and international organizations to interact with the Collective Security Treaty Organization. “All the necessary changes have been introduced into the CSTO's charter. Now we will have to determine the circles of countries and international organizations, which could aspire to become CSTO observers or partners, and work out procedures for working with potential candidates,” Stanislav Zas said.
Speaking about public diplomacy, Stanislav Zas noted that it is a component of the official diplomacy and represents a set of measures, which are taken to systematically inform the public and political circles of the CSTO member states and third countries about the main directions in the CSTO's work at the national level, regional one, and international one while relying on capabilities of the civil society.
The practical goal of public diplomacy is to deliver objective information about the Collective Security Treaty Organization to the international community, present the CSTO's stance on the main international problems, shape a positive image of the organization as an effective multifunctional international security body in the Eurasian space. The ultimate goal is to assist with the multidimensional formation of favorable external conditions for the safe and stable development of the CSTO member states, the CSTO secretary general stressed.
The development of relations with the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization were also discussed during the meeting.
