MOSCOW, 17 February (BelTA) – The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) aims for cooperation with the United Nations in maintaining international peace and security, said CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas, who took part in the UN Security Council session on 17 February, CSTO spokesman Vladimir Zainetdinov told BelTA.
The meeting, which was held via videoconference, focused on “Cooperation between the UN and regional and subregional organizations in support of international peace and security: Cooperation between the United Nations and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
“We fully support the theses outlined by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in the New Agenda for Peace on the importance of reducing strategic security risks through preventive regional activities and agree with his assessment that regional security organizations play a central role in maintaining peace, preventing and overcoming instability. For its part, the CSTO is aimed at effectively carrying out these tasks within its area of responsibility and has the necessary capacity,” said Stanislav Zas.
He noted that the CSTO considers the UN as its main international partner and is interested in strengthening the role of the world organization. “This approach is enshrined in the statement of the CSTO foreign ministers on reaffirming the commitment to the principles of the UN Charter and strengthening cooperation to ensure their strict observance of 15 September 2021,” the CSTO secretary general said.
In his words, the resolution adopted at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly “On cooperation between the UN and the CSTO” highly appreciates the CSTO as a partner. “It notes that since the signing of the Collective Security Treaty, the CSTO has been transformed into a multifunctional structure with the capacity to respond adequately to a wide range of challenges and threats within its area of responsibility,” Stanislav Zas said.
“We intend to further develop all the areas of cooperation with the UN, including the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy in Central Asia (UNRCCA) on the basis of the joint Declaration on Cooperation between the CSTO and the UN Secretariat of 18 March 2010, the existing memoranda and protocols on cooperation between the CSTO and the UN in various sectors,” the CSTO secretary general said.
He expressed confidence that the meeting would contribute to the development of additional mechanisms of cooperation between the UN and the CSTO for the cause of peace.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin, permanent representatives of the UN Security Council member states and permanent representatives of the CSTO member states took part in the event, which was chaired by Russia.
“A thorough discussion of the results and prospects of cooperation between the UN and CSTO took place in a constructive manner,” CSTO Press Secretary Vladimir Zainetdinov commented on its outcome.
