Expert: CSTO strengthens defence space and responds to modern challenges and threats
Igor Martynov, the Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee on National Security of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus, has commented on some topics discussed as part of the high-level international Eurasian Security: Reality and Prospects in Transforming World conference held in Minsk on October 26th-27th
“How can we determine the current situation in the CSTO area of responsibility? It is quite tense, because conflicts are taking place near the borders of the bloc countries, and directly with the participation of some CSTO members. This is what we see in Ukraine, and what has recently taken place in Karabakh. At the same time, the Middle East crisis has come to the fore today,” the politician said.
According to Mr. Martynov, the situation in Kazakhstan two years ago has a connection with the present events. “These are the links of one chain. It is important to note that, when the President of Kazakhstan addressed CSTO, a decision was made at lightning speed to transfer the CSTO contingent to the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In that way, a coup was prevented in the country, and this suggests that CSTO is an important organisation capable of solving many tasks in the region. However, we should not stop here. It is necessary to progress, to hold joint events within the framework of the organisation, to polish the skills of countering modern challenges and threats. This is quite a serious issue, especially in the sphere of economic interaction in the Eurasian region – since an expansion of co-operation in SCO, BRICS and EAEU is in full swing. Many counties express their desire to join these international unions. The CSTO role is accordingly more important than ever – to ensure the security of the development of these integration structures,” he explained.
