Zas comments on Russia’s security proposals to NATO
Proposals made by Russia to the North Atlantic Alliance on security guarantees should reduce tensions along the borders of Belarus, the Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, Stanislav Zas, told the SOYUZNIKI. ODKB (ALLIES. CSTO) multimedia publication – as reported by BelTA
The Secretary General noted the concern about the growing crisis on the borders of the CSTO member states, including the intensification of attempts by the United States and European countries to put pressure on the CSTO member states: Russia and Belarus. He stated that the situation on the western borders of the organisation’s area of responsibility is also far from stable.
“There is a build-up of NATO’s military infrastructure, including the groupings of troops capable of solving offensive tasks, the strengthening of hostile rhetoric, the introduction of new sanctions, the organisation of dangerous provocations in the immediate vicinity of the borders of the CSTO member states,” noted Mr. Zas. “These events cannot but disturb, and, of course, they do not go unnoticed by the organisation. Russia and Belarus are building up the capabilities of the regional grouping of forces, conducting joint exercises on the possible repulse of aggression. Strategic bombers of the Russian Aerospace Forces and Belarusian Air Force fighters began to jointly patrol the western borders of the CSTO. A number of other joint events are also being conducted.”
“I believe that after Russia’s proposals to the North Atlantic Alliance on security guarantees, the tension in the East European direction in the CSTO area of responsibility should decrease. Nobody wants war,” asserted the CSTO Secretary General.
Mr. Zas stressed that the CSTO – as an organisation established to protect peace and stability – has always opposed the politicisation of issues related to international security.
“There are a number of areas where, from our point of view, co-operation between the CSTO and NATO would benefit both sides,” he said. “First of all, this refers to the fight against drug trafficking and countering terrorism. Our organisation at the level of heads of state and foreign ministers expressed readiness to start a dialogue, but no reciprocal steps followed, which leads to certain conclusions.”
Answering the question what, in his opinion, is the basis for this NATO approach, Stanislav Zas noted, “The impression often appears that in some regions of the world they start to forget about the lessons of the world wars. I want to remind you that the preservation of a true story about the Great Patriotic War remains one of the important political and moral foundations of our organisation. I am convinced that the duty of humanity is to remember not only the suffering of the millions who died and went through the hell of war, but also what circumstances caused the tragedy. This is a very cruel political lesson, ignoring which does not bode well for the world. From this point of view, examples of political arrogance can hardly be rationalised.”
