CSTO consultations on cooperation between MFA press services held in Moscow

MOSCOW, 14 December (BelTA) – Moscow played host to the consultations of the heads of press services (information units) of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the CSTO member states to discuss practical interaction on 13 December, CSTO spokesman Vladimir Zainetdinov told BelTA.

The consultations were attended by representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, the CSTO Secretariat and the CSTO Joint Staff.

CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas highlighted the crucial importance of cooperation on the information track amid the rapidly growing conflict potential in the world, new and traditional challenges and threats. He urged to strengthen the CSTO analytical component in the media space. The CSTO chief highlighted the importance of the CSTO Crisis Response Center. “It helps us to be in touch, in a safe and continuous mode, with the governments and the media of the CSTO member states, to monitor events, to promptly consider and make decisions on topical issues," he said.

There was a spike in reports in some media outlets and blogs distorting essence, tasks and methods of work of the CSTO, the participants of the consultations noted. Director of the Information and Press Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova spoke about the practical measures to counter the dissemination of false information about the CSTO.

A representative of the CSTO Crisis Response Center informed the participants of the consultations about the center's capabilities in providing information support for the organization's activities. The delegations spoke in favor of promoting the use of the center's capabilities, including in overcoming new challenges and threats in the media space.

"Representatives of the Joint Staff also shared their experience in organizing a joint press center during joint exercises of the CSTO troops (collective forces). The parties supported the proposal to deploy a joint press center in the event of crisis situations, in the settlement of which the forces and means of the CSTO collective security system are involved," the spokesman added.