VITEBSK DISTRICT, 16 October (BelTA) – In 2020 the Collective Security Treaty Organization intends to finish the necessary legal work to include its peacekeeping mission into the United Nations Organization, BelTA learned from Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Stanislav Zas.
Stanislav Zas said that participation in operations under the aegis of the United Nations Organization is one of the promising directions for developing the CSTO peacekeeping forces. “A lot of work has been done by the Secretariat of the United Nations Organization. We've received their support. Work is now in progress to amend our legislation to match standards of the international organization. I think this year we will finish the legal work and next year we will begin specific negotiations on including the peacekeeping mission into the UN,” he said.
Stanislav Zas reminded that the main goal of the Collective Security Treaty Organization is to bolster and support international peace and regional security by political means instead of military force. Well-trained units are available for it. They are capable of carrying out peacekeeping tasks, of enabling conditions for separating warring sides and starting negotiations in order to restore peace.
“We have the necessary legal base for carrying out peacekeeping operations. We've formed the relevant forces and assets. The CSTO's total peacekeeping strength is close to 3,600 people from all the member states. They are well-trained. Most of the military personnel of these units have taken part in peacekeeping operations,” he added.
Stanislav Zas also stressed that getting CSTO peacekeeping forces involved in the resolution of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is not on agenda. Armenia and Azerbaijan as well as countries of the OSCE's Minsk group are involved in resolving the situation.
The command and staff exercise Nerushimoye Bratstvo 2020 [Indestructible Brotherhood] ended in Vitebsk District on 16 October. Contingents of the CSTO member states, operations groups of the CSTO Joint Staff and the CSTO Secretariat, police forces, and emergency response and rescue workers took part in the exercise. A total of over 900 people and over 120 units of military hardware and special hardware, including flying drones and helicopters, were deployed as part of the exercise.
