MOSCOW, 27 April (BelTA) – The Collective Security Treaty Organization Defense Ministers Council approved a plan on equipping the CSTO's collective rapid response forces with modern weapons at a session in Dushanbe on 27 April, BelTA learned from CSTO Press Secretary Vladimir Zainetdinov.
After the session Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Stanislav Zas said that the CSTO Defense Ministers Council had approved a most important document – a plan on equipping the collective rapid response forces with modern weapons, military hardware and special hardware, special gear. The plan's implementation will improve the level of technology available to the CSTO collective rapid response forces.
The defense ministers approved a draft agreement on the jurisdiction and provision of legal aid in cases relating to the temporary presence of collective security system forces and assets in the territories of the CSTO member states. The purpose of the document is to create a mechanism of cooperation of the relevant bodies of the CSTO member states: military police, military investigators, military prosecutors, military courts (tribunals) in criminal cases and administrative cases against people that belong to the collective security system forces and assets.
Apart from that, a plan on consultations about foreign policy, defense, and security in H2 2021 – H1 2022 was approved. The document provides for organizing events to discuss the development of the military component of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the improvement of organization of CSTO troops control, and the advancement of military technology cooperation within the framework of the organization.
The CSTO defense ministers also approved a plan of action to celebrate the 30th anniversary since the Collective Security Treaty was signed and the 20th anniversary since the Collective Security Treaty Organization was established. The anniversary dates will be celebrated in May 2022. The document provides for various organizational events, foreign policy events, military technology events, military economy events, cultural and educational events, applied science events, and other ones.
A joint resolution of the CSTO Defense Ministers Council and the Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils of the CSTO member states was signed on the typical structure and the typical staff of the CSTO collective rapid response forces command. The document provides for creating the CSTO collective rapid response forces command on the basis of the command of the Airborne Forces of Russia's Armed Forces or the command of the Ground Forces of Kazakhstan's Armed Forces (if the collective rapid response forces operate in Kazakhstan).
The next session of the CSTO Defense Ministers Council will take place in Dushanbe in Q4 2021 prior to a session of the CSTO Collective Security Council.
