YEREVAN, 23 November (BelTA) – Belarus is intent on increasing the unity of the Collective Security Treaty Organization member states. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement at a plenary session of the CSTO Collective Security Council in Yerevan, Armenia on 23 November, BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “In emerging conditions we see the following fundamental goals of Belarus' presidency. Domestically we have to improve the unity of the Collective Security Treaty Organization member states. These are fundamental goals: to increase our unity, reduce the level of tensions, and address contradictions between them for the sake of strengthening the organization itself, for the sake of ensuring security and stability in the organization's responsibility area.”
Speaking about international affairs, Aleksandr Lukashenko mentioned Belarus is intent on enhancing the role and the significance of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in the system of international relations. “And on the comprehensive accordance of the organization's work with the context of regional and global security,” he added. “Let me explain: countries don't really want to deal with us, particularly our main competitors, so to say, NATO countries. They keep their distance from us whatever we may offer to individual NATO member states, to the collective West. But very serious shifts have been secured within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States. Heads of European countries already notice us. They may call us some ‘paper tigers' at first but since they've noticed us, it means we exist. And we will have to move in this direction.”
