MOSCOW, 1 July (BelTA) – There are plans to set up a coordinating council for biological safety in the CSTO, CSTO Deputy Secretary General Valery Semerikov said at the Second United Nations High-Level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies of Member States that took place in New York on 28-30 June, CSTO press secretary Vladimir Zainetdinov told BelTA.
“Addressing the conference participants, the CSTO deputy secretary general said that the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the CSTO to consider creating a coordinating council for biological safety. He urged the participants to support the initiative put forward by Kazakhstan's president at the latest UN General Assembly session to establish a special multilateral body – the International Agency for Biological Safety – that will be accountable to the UN Security Council,” the press secretary said.
The conference participants discussed the overarching theme “Countering and Preventing Terrorism in the Age of Transformative Technologies: Addressing the Challenges of the New Decade.” “In 2022 the CSTO will mark its 20th anniversary. During this relatively short period of time, the organization has accumulated certain experience and built potential, which made it possible to adequately respond to a wide range of challenges and threats,” Valery Semerikov said at the forum. “Our organization's expertise and knowledge in various areas of activity have been repeatedly acclaimed by relevant structures of the UN, OSCE, CIS and SCO. This testifies to our close cooperation in combating terrorism and maintaining security at the regional and global levels,” he said.
The CSTO deputy secretary general called for greater coordination in the face of a great conflict potential, a real danger of dismantling the existing architecture of international security, a crisis of confidence, and confrontation, when the world peace is threatened by global terrorism that extended its reach to a large geostrategic area using new technology, including ICT and social media.
“Taking into account the great interest in the events of the CSTO on the part of the relevant structures of the UN, OSCE, CIS, SCO and individual states, Valery Semerikov called on international and regional organizations, individual states not only to apply for an observer status at the CSTO, but also to take part in the activities of the CSTO as a full partner,” the press secretary said.
