Volfovich: CSTO managed to build adequate mechanism for responding to challenges and threats
At a meeting with the secretaries of the CSTO security councils, State Secretary of Belarus’ Security Council Aleksandr Volfovich informed the participants of the event about the activities of the CSTO Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils
In particular, he noted, “For over two decades, our committee has been developing measures and co-ordinating the joint work of the CSTO member states against international terrorism, extremism, drug and arms trafficking, transnational organised crime, and illegal migration. Over these years, we’ve managed to build an adequate mechanism for responding to the identified challenges and threats. A regulatory framework has been adopted, subsidiary bodies and working groups have been formed ensuring the adoption of co-ordinated measures in the field of combating new challenges and threats, as well as interaction between law enforcement agencies and special services. A number of special operations are carried out annually.”
Aleksandr Volfovich continued, “Over the past two decades, as a result of the joint activities of the CSTO special services in this area, 19 terrorist acts have been prevented, over 500 persons involved in terrorist activities have been detained, and more than 420 tonnes of narcotic drugs, psychotropic and potent substances were seized by collective efforts. Moreover, about 6,500 criminal drug groups have been neutralised and over 250 channels of illegal migration have been eliminated.”
According to the Head of Belarus’ Security Council, in connection with the emergence of new challenges and threats, the competence of the CSTO Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils is expanding its profile every year, “In the past few years, one of the priority areas of our work has become the co-ordination of actions of the CSTO member states in the field of information security. This is the main component of the hybrid war that is unleashed not only against Russia and Belarus, but also against all our states. In the past year, the committee’s tasks have expanded to include the dissemination of biosecurity issues. We predict that these are not the last spheres of collective defence. Modern challenges and threats are rapidly transforming, acquiring new hybrid forms, which requires an adequate and timely response.”
Aleksandr Volfovich also said that at present the CSTO Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils, in co-operation with interested state bodies, is implementing the decisions of the November session of collective security aimed at implementing the action plan in the field of countering modern challenges and threats, “In May, under the auspices of the committee, the first stage of the operation Kanal (Channel) to combat drug trafficking took place, which yielded results. This year will also see the operation Naemnik (Mercenary) to suppress terrorism, the Nelegal (Illegal) operation to counter illegal migration, as well as the operation Proksi (Proxy), aimed at identifying crimes in the information sphere.
