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Who wrote about the CSTO this year? Organization of the Collective Security Treaty (CSTO). Information work and interparliamentary cooperation

Russia today plays a special role in the context of the strategy and activities of the CSTO, and intensifying cooperation between member countries and increasing the efficiency of the Organization’s activities today is one of the important foreign policy priorities for Russia. Thus, according to the National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation until 2020, the CSTO is the main interstate instrument designed to counter regional challenges and threats of a military-political and military-strategic nature. The military doctrine of the Russian Federation formulates a number of main tasks for deterring and preventing conflicts, which also include tasks for strengthening the system collective security within the CSTO and building its potential. In 2014, during its chairmanship of the CSTO, Russia made serious efforts to increase the role and potential of the Organization, as well as to develop military and military-political cooperation with partners.

Today, the CSTO member countries will continue to promote the consolidation of efforts in the fight against international terrorism and think peacekeeping activities a promising direction for the development of the organization, which is fully consistent with the main priorities of Russian foreign policy. The final statement of the heads of CSTO member states following the summit in Dushanbe on September 15, 2015 states that “the CSTO member states consider the development of the organization’s peacekeeping potential as a promising direction for its activities and support involvement in international peacekeeping activities under the auspices of the UN.” The joint statement also notes that the CSTO member states will continue to promote the consolidation of the efforts of the world community in the fight against international terrorism and extremism, drug trafficking and illegal migration, and ensuring international information security.

History of creation, basics of activity, organizational structure

The organization of the Collective Security Treaty dates back to the conclusion of the Collective Security Treaty, which was signed in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) on May 15, 1992 by the heads of Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Later Azerbaijan, Belarus and Georgia joined it (1993). The Treaty entered into force upon completion of national ratification processes on April 20, 1994. The key article of the Treaty is the fourth, which states that:

“If one of the state parties is subjected to aggression by any state or group of states, this will be considered as aggression against all state parties to this Treaty.

In the event of an act of aggression against any of the participating States, all other participating States will provide him with the necessary assistance, including military assistance, and will also provide support with means at their disposal in the exercise of the right to collective defense in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.”

In addition, Article 2 of the Treaty establishes a regional consultation mechanism in the event of a threat to the security, territorial integrity and sovereignty of one or more States Parties, or a threat international peace and security, and also provides for the conclusion of additional agreements regulating certain issues of cooperation in the field of collective security between the participating states.

The collective security agreement was concluded for five years with the possibility of subsequent extension. In 1999, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Russia and Tajikistan signed the Protocol on the Extension of the Collective Security Treaty (link), on the basis of which a new composition of participating countries was formed and an automatic procedure for extending the Treaty for five-year periods was established.

Further development of cooperation in the Treaty format required qualitative institutional changes, which led to the signing on October 7, 2002 in Chisinau (Moldova) of the Charter of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, which from the point of view of international law is a regional international security organization.

In accordance with Article 3 of the CSTO Charter, the goals of the Organization are to strengthen peace, international and regional security and stability, and protect on a collective basis the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of member states.

Based on Article 5 of the Charter CSTO Organization in its activities it is guided by the following principles: priority of political means over military ones, strict respect for independence, voluntary participation, equality of rights and obligations of member states, non-interference in matters falling under the national jurisdiction of member states.

Since 2004, the organization has observer status at the UN General Assembly.

CSTO structure

The highest coordinating body of the CSTO is the secretariat headed by the Secretary General (since April 2003 - Nikolai Bordyuzha). The highest political body is the Collective Security Council (CSC), which includes the presidents of the states parties to the Treaty. In the period between sessions of the CSC, it is headed by the president of the country presiding over the CSTO this year. In 2014, the chairmanship of the CSTO statutory bodies is carried out by Russia, in 2015 - by Tajikistan.

The Collective Security Council (CSC) is the highest body of the Organization. The Council considers fundamental issues of the Organization's activities and makes decisions aimed at achieving its goals and objectives, and also ensures coordination and joint activities of member states to achieve these goals.

The Council is composed of heads of member states.

In the period between sessions of the CSC, issues of coordinating the interaction of member states in the implementation of decisions taken by the bodies of the Organization are dealt with by the Permanent Council, which consists of authorized representatives appointed by member states.

The Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs (CMFA) is the Organization's advisory and executive body on issues of coordinating the interaction of member states in the field of foreign policy.

The Council of Defense Ministers (CMD) is the Organization's advisory and executive body on issues of coordinating the interaction of member states in the field military policy, military construction and military-technical cooperation.

Military Committee - created on December 19, 2012 under the Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization for the purpose of promptly considering issues of planning and use of forces and means of the collective security system of the Collective Security Treaty Organization and preparing the necessary proposals to the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

The Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils (CSSC) is an advisory and executive body of the Organization on issues of coordinating the interaction of member states in the field of ensuring their national security.

The Secretary General of the Organization is the highest administrative official of the Organization and manages the Secretariat of the Organization. Appointed by decision of the SSC from among the citizens of the member states and accountable to the SSC.

The Secretariat of the Organization is a permanent working body of the Organization for the implementation of organizational, informational, analytical and advisory support for the activities of the bodies of the Organization.

The SKB has the right to create working and auxiliary bodies of the Organization on a permanent or temporary basis.

The CSTO Joint Headquarters is a permanent working body of the Organization and the CSTO Council of Defense, responsible for preparing proposals and implementing decisions on the military component of the CSTO.

Political cooperation

In accordance with Article 9 of the CSTO Charter, a mechanism of regular political consultations operates in the Organization’s format, during which assessments of the situation in the CSTO area of ​​responsibility are discussed, common positions are developed and joint approaches to current problems on the international agenda are sought, and collective statements are agreed upon. Meetings are held at the levels of foreign ministers, their deputies, members of the Permanent Council under the CSTO, as well as experts. Particular attention is paid to coordinating the collective steps of member states in international organizations, for which periodic meetings of authorized representatives of the CSTO member states to the UN, OSCE, NATO, EU and others are convened international structures, which makes it possible to more effectively, on a collective basis, consistently defend common interests in these international structures. Informal meetings of foreign ministers have become a practice on the eve of OSCE Ministerial Council meetings and sessions of the UN General Assembly. Positive experience has emerged as a result of the use of collective instructions to authorized representatives of member states at international organizations.

Cooperation with other international organizations at the working level is developing. Memorandums (protocols) on cooperation were signed with the UN, SCO, CIS, EAEU, Union State, Colombo Plan, SCO Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure, Anti-Terrorism Center and the Coordination Service of the Council of Commanders of the CIS Border Troops.

Representatives of the Secretariat regularly take part in the work of relevant units of the UN and OSCE. The CSTO Secretary General regularly presents the Organization's approaches to certain current issues on the international agenda during events held under the auspices of the UN, OSCE and other associations. In turn, evidence of the serious focus of these organizations on developing cooperation with the CSTO were the speeches of their secretaries general, Ban Ki-moon, Lamberto Zannier at meetings of the Permanent Council of the CSTO.

On December 2, 2004, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution granting the Collective Security Treaty Organization observer status in the UN General Assembly. On March 18, 2010, in Moscow, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and CSTO Secretary General N.N. Bordyuzha signed a Joint Declaration on cooperation between the secretariats of the UN and the CSTO.

A mechanism has been established for the exchange of views on a wide range of issues of mutual interest between senior administrative officials of the EAEU, CSTO, CIS and SCO, which allows, at a practical level, to optimize the distribution of functions between regional organizations whose responsibilities include ensuring security in the Eurasian states.

In 2010, measures were taken to improve the Organization's crisis response system. It is complemented by a political mechanism for monitoring and preventing possible conflicts. An algorithm for the functioning of the CSTO bodies and member states for the prompt provision of material, technical and humanitarian assistance, information and political support in the event of crisis situations in the area of ​​the Collective Security Treaty has been developed and tested. Obligations for mutual, including military, support also extend to cases of armed attack by illegal armed groups and gangs. The possibility of making decisions in a limited format by interested member states is being introduced. A legal basis has been created for emergency consultations and decision-making, including through video conferencing.

Military construction

Despite the importance and priority of collective political action to solve the problems facing the Organization, the specificity of the CSTO is the presence of a capable force potential, ready to respond to a wide range of traditional and modern challenges and threats in the Eurasian region.

At the moment, the military (security) component of the Organization includes the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces and Peacekeeping Forces formed on a broad coalition basis, as well as regional groupings of forces and means of collective security: Collective Rapid Deployment Forces of the Central Asian Region, Regional Russian-Belarusian Grouping of Troops (Forces) Eastern European region, United Russian-Armenian group of troops (forces) of the Caucasus region. The United Air Defense System of Russia and Belarus is in operation, and a Russian-Armenian regional air defense system is being created.

The CSTO CRRF (more than 20 thousand personnel) are a component constant readiness and include highly mobile contingents of the armed forces of member states, as well as the formation of special forces, which combine units of security agencies and special services, internal affairs bodies and internal troops, emergency response authorities. In December 2011, the heads of member states made a decision to include in the CRRF special units anti-drug agencies.

Collective rapid response forces are a universal potential capable of solving problems of resolving conflicts of varying intensity, conducting special operations to suppress terrorist attacks, violent extremist actions, manifestations of organized crime, as well as to prevent and eliminate emergency situations.

In accordance with the Agreement on Peacekeeping Activities, the CSTO Peacekeeping Forces (about 3.6 thousand personnel) were created. On a planned basis, they are trained and prepared to solve specific peacekeeping tasks. In 2010, the heads of member states expressed their readiness, using the peacekeeping potential of the CSTO to assist the United Nations, to contribute to the prevention of armed conflicts and the peaceful resolution of emerging conflict and crisis situations.

Contingents of regional groupings, as well as the CSTO CRRF forces, are scheduled to carry out joint combat training. Exercises and other preparatory activities are regularly conducted. An interstate target program has been approved to equip the CSTO CRRF with modern, interoperably compatible weapons and equipment. The Russian Federation plans to allocate significant financial resources for these purposes.

Steps are being taken to create integrated military systems: integrated air defense systems in Central Asia and other regions, a system for managing forces and means of collective security, an information and intelligence system, and a technical cover system for railways.

The organization, along with the implementation of its statutory goals at the regional level, solves problems of promoting the development of the national potentials of its member states.

In accordance with the Agreement on the Basic Principles of Military-Technical Cooperation concluded by the member states, the supply of weapons and military equipment to the CSTO allies at preferential prices (as for their own needs) has been organized. The agreement played important role is that over the 10 years of its practical implementation, supplies of military products in the CSTO format have increased almost tenfold, turning from political to full-fledged economic factor, as a serious basis for the formation of a common arms market for the CSTO. The implemented approaches brought benefits to the CSTO member states amounting to hundreds of millions of US dollars, and a significant part of the supplies began to consist of modern and sophisticated weapons and military equipment.

Military-technical cooperation is complemented by the mechanism of military-economic cooperation, which involves the implementation of joint R&D programs in the CSTO format, modernization of weapons and military equipment - with appropriate financial support for these activities. The main instruments of interaction in this area are the Interstate Commission on Military-Economic Cooperation and the Business Council under the MKFEC, within the framework of which issues of preserving the specialization of the defense industry industries of the member states are being resolved, proposals are being worked out on the creation of joint ventures for the development, production, disposal and repair of equipment and weapons .

An integral element of cooperation is joint training of personnel for the armed forces, law enforcement agencies and special services of member states. Every year, on a free or preferential basis, in accordance with the existing agreements in the CSTO, only in the Russian Federation are enrolled: in military universities - up to a thousand citizens of member states, in law enforcement and civilian universities - up to 100 people. Several dozen relevant educational institutions are currently involved in the training of security specialists.

Countering modern challenges and threats

After the decision was made in 2006 to give the CSTO a multifunctional character, the Organization has been increasing its contribution to countering regional challenges and threats. To coordinate national activities, the necessary coordination mechanisms have been created and are functioning successfully. The main goal of the CSTO is to achieve practical interaction between the relevant services, to ensure the possibility of everyday cooperation of ordinary employees, and to obtain real returns from the efforts made. To this end, collective special operational and preventive operations are regularly carried out under the auspices of the CSTO.

An important practical area of ​​the Organization’s efforts is combating drug trafficking. Under the auspices of the Organization, the Coordination Council of Heads of Competent Authorities for Combating Illicit Drug Trafficking is conducting a permanent regional anti-drug operation “Channel”, the purpose of which is to identify and block drug smuggling routes, suppress the activities of clandestine laboratories, prevent the diversion of precursors into illegal trafficking, and undermine the economic foundations of the drug business. . The operation involves employees of drug control agencies, internal affairs (police), border guards, customs, state (national) security and financial intelligence services of member states of the Organization. Representatives of about 30 states that are not members of the CSTO, including the United States, European Union countries, a number of Latin American states, as well as experts from international organizations: OSCE, Interpol and Europol, are taking part in the operation as observers.

In total, during the “Channel” operations, about 245 tons of drugs were seized from illicit trafficking, including more than 12 tons of heroin, about 5 tons of cocaine, 42 tons of hashish, as well as over 9,300 firearms and about 300 thousand pieces of ammunition.

In February 2011, the heads of the CSTO member states adopted a Statement on the problem of the drug threat emanating from Afghanistan. Work continues in the UN Security Council to promote the initiative to give Afghan drug production the status of a threat to peace and security.

Under the leadership of the Coordination Council of Heads of Competent Authorities to Combat Illegal Migration, coordinated operational and preventive measures and special operations are being carried out to combat illegal migration, which involve joint efforts to block the channels of illegal migration of third-country citizens and suppress the criminal activities of traffickers and organized groups "Illegal" .

Joint efforts are being made in the field of ensuring international information security. Interaction between special units of security agencies and internal affairs agencies is actively developing in order to suppress crimes in the field of modern information technologies within the framework of Operation Proxy.

By decision of the President of the Russian Federation, a Center for Modern Information Technologies was created on the basis of Moscow State University, where training of specialists in the field of information security is organized. The last batch of 19 students - representatives of member states - completed their training at the Center on December 14, 2012.

Information work and interparliamentary cooperation

Plays an important role in the activities of the Organization interparliamentary cooperation. Since 2006, the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly has been in operation (link), which, in fact, is second only to the instruments executive branch a supporting structure that ensures stability in the activities of the CSTO.

The CSTO PA is an important means of political cooperation of the CSTO. The flexibility of parliamentary work allows, in necessary cases, greater efficiency and openness when responding to current events international life, when establishing contacts with our partners in the West. Traditionally, in order to analyze the military-political situation in the regions of collective security, visiting meetings of the standing commissions of the Parliamentary Assembly are held with a subsequent report to the PA Council.

The CSTO Parliamentary Assembly also plays a significant role in ensuring common approaches to the harmonization of legislation, working to bring together the legal fields of member states, primarily on issues of the main activities of the Organization, namely: drug trafficking, illegal migration, the fight against terrorism and organized crime.

The CSTO carries out intensive information and analytical work, actively interacts with the media, journalistic organizations and press services of the authorities of member states in order to complement efforts in the field of information cooperation, countering the propaganda of violence, the ideology of racism and xenophobia. The CSTO print organ is published, which is the periodic information and analytical magazine “Allies”. MTRK "Mir" organizes a weekly television program of the same name. Radio Russia broadcasts a monthly program “International Politics - CSTO”.

Experts from the CSTO Institute conduct fundamental and applied research on a wide range of issues affecting the Organization. The CSTO Scientific Expert Council operates, within which, with the involvement of leading experts scientific centers Member States are being considered current problems formation of a collective security system in modern geopolitical conditions.

Russian Chairmanship of the CSTO, 2014

Russia's chairmanship in the CSTO was based on approval by the Chairman of the CSTO Collective Security Council, President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin’s priorities and action plan for the implementation of the decisions of the September (2013) session of the CSTO Collective Security Council in Sochi.

In order to strengthen the mechanisms of cooperation and ensure security on the external borders of the CSTO zone of responsibility, the main attention was paid to taking preventive measures to counter the challenges and threats emanating from the territory of Afghanistan. A temporary working group from representatives of the border departments of the CSTO member states to coordinate work to strengthen border security in Central Asia. The working group on Afghanistan under the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers carried out regular “compare notes” on the development of the situation; representatives of a number of international organizations took part in its work.

The improvement of joint operational and combat training of forces and means of the collective security system continued. A decision was made to create the CSTO Collective Aviation Forces. In 2014, three major joint exercises were held: “Frontier - 2014”, “Indestructible Brotherhood - 2014” and “Interaction-2014”. A significant impetus for closer security cooperation was given by the informal summit of the heads of member states in Moscow on May 8, 2014.

Comprehensive work was carried out to develop the peacekeeping component of the Organization’s activities. Recommendations regarding the composition, structure, equipment, and training of CSTO peacekeeping contingents with a view to connecting them to peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the UN were worked out with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations of the UN Secretariat.

Being a multidisciplinary international organization, the CSTO strengthened mechanisms to combat modern challenges and security threats, primarily in such areas as combating drug trafficking, illegal migration, and crimes in the information sphere. The CSTO Anti-Drug Strategy for 2015-20 was adopted, the anti-drug operation “Channel” and a set of special measures to counter illegal migration “Illegal” were carried out on a regular basis. The status of a permanent operation has been given to Operation PROXY to combat crimes in the field of information technology. The Organization's potential to combat emergency situations is being progressively strengthened. The fight against terrorism and organized crime remains among the important areas of work.

Received further development the parliamentary dimension of the CSTO’s activities, primarily in terms of synchronization of the national legislations of the member states. On November 6, 2014, V.V. Putin received the heads of parliaments of the CSTO member states, as well as observer countries to the CSTO PA - Serbia and Afghanistan

Foreign policy coordination of member states is becoming the most important area of ​​work of the CSTO. Working meetings of foreign ministers on the sidelines of major international events have become regular, and the practice of adopting joint statements on issues relevant to the CSTO member states has been continued and expanded. During Russia's chairmanship of the CSTO, 17 joint statements were adopted, 6 of which were made by the CSTO Foreign Ministers.

In order to develop interaction between the CSTO and other international and regional organizations, meetings were held between the CSTO Secretary General and the Chairman of the CSTO Permanent Council with the UN Secretary General and his deputies, and meetings were held twice with the OSCE Secretary General. At the 69th session of the UN General Assembly, a Resolution on cooperation between the UN and the CSTO was adopted.

The CSTO's external relations with other international organizations, primarily the CIS and SCO, expanded. With the support of the Russian chairmanship, meetings of the CSTO Secretary General with Latin American states and Asia-Pacific countries were organized.

In general, Russia's chairmanship in the CSTO contributed to increasing the role and potential of the Organization, as well as the development of allied relations with partners. In 2015, Tajikistan became the chairman of the CSTO.

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Publishes full version document.

Brief historical background

The Collective Security Treaty (CST) was signed on May 15, 1992, six months after the collapse of the USSR. Its main task was to maintain interaction between the armies of the newly formed independent states in the post-Soviet space.

The founding states were Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In 1993, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Georgia joined the treaty.

In 1999, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Uzbekistan refused to renew their membership in the CST and focused on work in GUAM ( GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova) is an anti-Russian organization created in 1997 to establish horizontal ties between post-Soviet republics in the interests of the United States and the European Union. During the periods of Uzbekistan's membership, the organization was called GUUAM. Currently, GUAM is not an active and actually working structure, despite the fact that no formal decision has been made to dissolve it, and the GUAM Secretariat located in Kyiv regularly issues press releases in Russian about its work).

In 2002, it was decided to transform the DKB into a full-fledged international organization.

On October 7, 2002, the Charter and Agreement on the legal status of the CSTO were adopted in Chisinau. The documents establishing the CSTO were ratified by all participating countries and entered into force on September 18, 2003.

On November 16, 2006, the heads of parliaments of the CSTO member countries adopted a resolution on the creation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO PA).

In 2009, the Collective Rapid Reaction Force (CRRF) was created. Their task is to repel military aggression, conduct special operations to combat international terrorism, transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, as well as eliminate the consequences of emergency situations. CRRF exercises are held on a regular basis.

On December 21, 2015, the heads of the CSTO member states adopted a Statement on Countering International Terrorism, in which they declared their intention to “consistently strengthen the power potential of the CSTO, increase its counter-terrorism component, and increase the combat readiness of the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces in order to effectively counter new challenges and threats.”

On October 14, 2016, the CSTO Collective Security Council (CSC) in Yerevan adopted a Decision to approve the Collective Security Strategy until 2025, as well as additional measures to combat terrorism and create a Crisis Response Center.

The CSTO Secretary General since 2003 is Nikolay Bordyuzha.

Elected Chairman of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly on November 24, 2016 Vyacheslav Volodin.

CSTO: Birth injuries and irremovable contradictions

The largest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century - the collapse Soviet Union- had a particularly serious impact on the ability of states that suddenly and often not of their own free will to maintain an adequate level of security - both external and internal.

If the European post-Soviet republics (with the exception of Moldova, which failed to curb its own nationalists and as a result lost Transnistria) faced a maximum increase in crime in the early 90s, the Central Asian countries found themselves alone with the threat of international terrorism and religious extremism.

The most serious situation was in Tajikistan, with its long border with Afghanistan. Civil war in this country threatened with extremely serious consequences not only for Tajikistan itself, but also for neighboring countries. That is why Russia, which took upon itself the protection of the Tajik-Afghan border, and Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, actively participated in national reconciliation in the republic.

“Leading figures of Tajikistan have repeatedly noted the important military-political role of the CST in the process of achieving national reconciliation. And now, within the framework of the CSTO, this country is being provided with significant political, military and military-technical assistance,” says the version of the CSTO website that worked until 2012 in the “General Information” section.

The CSTO was initially focused primarily on solving the problems of maintaining security in Central Asia. A few more quotes from old version organization website:

“At the initial stage, the Treaty contributed to the creation of national armed forces of the participating states, ensuring adequate external conditions for their independent state building. This is evidenced by the relevance of the Treaty in a number of cases where its provisions are applied.

The capabilities of the Treaty were used in the fall of 1996 and the summer of 1998 in connection with the dangerous developments in Afghanistan in close proximity to the borders of the Central Asian states parties to the CST, in order to prevent attempts by extremists to destabilize the situation in this region.

In 1999 and 2000, as a result of promptly implemented measures by the CST member states, with the participation of Uzbekistan, the threat created by large-scale actions of armed groups of international terrorists in the south of Kyrgyzstan and in other areas of Central Asia was neutralized."

The legal acts on the basis of which the CST structures worked are the “Declaration of the CST Participating States” adopted in 1995, the “Concept of Collective Security of the CST Participating States”, the document on the “Main Directions for Deepening Military Cooperation”, the implementation plan for the Collective Security Concept and Main directions for deepening military cooperation.

In 1999, the Plan for the second stage of the formation of a collective security system was approved, which provided for the formation of coalition (regional) groupings of troops (forces) in the Eastern European, Caucasian and Central Asian directions.

In the 90s, the DKB had no chance of becoming a full-fledged and effective international organization due to large quantities claims of its participants to each other.

Armenia and Azerbaijan, both then and now, were essentially at war with each other. Georgia, both then and now, accused Russia of “separatism” in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, although it should be noted that Moscow in the 90s pursued a much harsher policy towards unrecognized states than in the 2000s. Abkhazia was actually under an economic blockade, South Ossetia and Transnistria were left to their own devices.

Uzbekistan tried to pursue what was called a “balanced” policy in Tashkent, but as a result it simply rushed between Moscow and Washington, either entering the CST, then moving from there to GUAM, then agreeing to the creation of an American military base, then demanding that the United States immediately leave its territory.

Of course, NATO also has examples of how members of the alliance are countries that “dislike” each other, such as Greece and Turkey, but such tension, and even more so direct clashes between them, as is the case with some former members DKB, hasn't happened for a long time.

But perhaps main problem The CST, which was inherited by the CSTO, was the initial refusal of serious attempts to integrate the largest post-Soviet republic after Russia militarily - Ukraine.

Of course, Kyiv and Moscow in the 90s were subject to serious pressure from the West; the “neutrality” of Ukraine was one of the conditions for the withdrawal of nuclear weapons from its territory. But the absence of Ukraine in the defensive alliance created by Russia, of course, laid the preconditions for the drift of this country towards NATO and the growing anti-Russian orientation of Ukrainian politics, which reached its apogee during the so-called “Euromaidan”.

The CST in the form in which it existed in the 90s could not quickly respond to the challenges of the time; its reform or dissolution was inevitable.

Work to prepare for the reformatting of the organization began in 2000. An agreement was signed on the basic principles of Military-Technical Cooperation (MTC). In 2001, the Collective Rapid Deployment Forces of the Central Asian Region were created, which were staffed by four battalions from Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan with a total strength of 1,500 people.

At the same time, the bodies of political management and interstate consultations were improved. The Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense and the Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils were created. The Secretariat of the CSC was organized, a consultation process was established at the level of the CSC, the Council of Foreign Ministers and the Council of Defense with the participation of deputy ministers of foreign affairs and defense, experts of the participating states, and their Plenipotentiary Representatives at Secretary General Collective Security Council.

The decision to transform the Collective Security Treaty into an international regional organization in accordance with Chapter VIII of the UN Charter was made in Moscow in May 2002 by the heads of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.

A place for creation of the CSTO neutral Chisinau was chosen. On October 7, 2002, a summit of the heads of state of the CIS was held in the capital of Moldova, during which the heads of the CST member countries signed statutory documents on the transformation of the latter into the CSTO.

Moldova, we note, just like Ukraine, from the very beginning of its independence, refrained from participating in military cooperation with Russia - due to dissatisfaction with the presence of Russian troops in Transnistria. The communist who headed this republic in 2002 Vladimir Voronin was considered a “pro-Russian” president until November of the following year, when at the last moment he refused to sign the already initialed document on the Transnistrian settlement, the so-called “Kozak Memorandum”. After this, there was no longer any talk about Moldova’s possible membership in the CSTO.

CSTO in 2002-2016: through contradictions to strengthen the union

In 2002-2003, when the CSTO was created, most countries considered international terrorism to be the main global threat, as now. The United States was conducting operations in Afghanistan and preparing to invade Iraq. Russian-American relations experienced a period of relative growth after sharp deterioration in 1999, when the US and NATO bombed Yugoslavia without UN authorization.

Initially, no serious political component was planned within the CSTO, only ensuring the security of the participating countries. Political dialogue in Central Asia was conducted either on the basis of the CIS or within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), created in 2001 on the basis of the Shanghai Five, formed as a result of the signing in 1996-1997. agreements between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Russia and Tajikistan on strengthening confidence in the military field. Uzbekistan also joined the SCO. The goals and objectives of the SCO were the strengthening of stability and security in a wide area uniting member states, the fight against terrorism, separatism, extremism, drug trafficking, development economic cooperation, energy partnership, scientific and cultural interaction.

It should also be emphasized that the CSTO was not considered as an alternative to NATO. The objectives of the organization were security in Central Asia, as well as military-technical cooperation of the participating countries. The unrestrained, cancer-like expansion of NATO has never been an example to follow for the CSTO members.

However, over time, it became clear that cooperation within the executive branch alone was not enough - to ensure the proper level of interaction, harmonization of legislation was required.

On June 23, 2006, the Minsk session of the CSTO Collective Security Council determined the need to develop the parliamentary dimension of the CSTO within the framework of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly. Based on this decision and on the Convention on the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the chairmen of the parliaments of the CIS member states of the CSTO at a meeting on November 16, 2006 adopted a resolution on the creation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO PA).

As stated on the CSTO PA website, “three permanent commissions have been created within the assembly - on defense and security issues, on political issues and international cooperation and on socio-economic and legal issues.

In accordance with the Regulations on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the CSTO PA discusses issues of cooperation between the CSTO member states in the international, military-political, legal and other fields and develops appropriate recommendations, which it sends to the Collective Security Council (CSC) and other CSTO bodies and national parliaments. In addition, the CSTO PA adopts model legislative and other legal acts aimed at regulating relations within the sphere of competence of the CSTO, as well as recommendations for bringing the laws of the CSTO member states closer together and bringing them into line with the provisions of international treaties concluded by these states within the CSTO."

The full-fledged work of various CSTO structures, unfortunately, has repeatedly been made dependent on the current political or economic situation. For example, negotiations on the creation of the Collective Rapid Reaction Force (CRRF), the main fighting force of the CSTO, in June 2009 were overshadowed by the so-called “milk war” between Russia and Belarus. As a result, representatives of Minsk refused to participate in the CSTO meeting under the pretext that military security is impossible without economic security.

This cast doubt on the legitimacy of the decision to create the CRRF, because according to paragraph 1 of Rule No. 14 of the Rules of Procedure of the CSTO bodies, approved by the CSTO Decision of June 18, 2004, the non-participation of a member country of the organization in meetings of the Collective Security Council, the Council of Foreign Ministers, the Council of Defense Ministers , the Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils means the lack of consent of a member country of the organization to make decisions considered by these bodies.

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko signed a package of documents on the accession of Belarus to the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces only on October 20, 2009.

In June 2010, the President of Kyrgyzstan Roza Otumbaeva appealed to the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev with a request to introduce the CRRF into the territory of this country in connection with the unrest and interethnic clashes in the Osh and Jalalab regions. Medvedev responded that “the criterion for the use of CSTO forces is the violation by one state of the borders of another state that is part of this organization. There is no talk about this yet, because all of Kyrgyzstan’s problems are rooted internally. They are rooted in the weakness of the previous government, in their reluctance to deal with the needs of the people. I hope that all the problems that exist today will be resolved by the authorities of Kyrgyzstan. The Russian Federation will help."

This statement became the subject of criticism from the President of Belarus. Alexander Lukashenko said that the CRRF must enter Kyrgyzstan and restore order there. As a result, a compromise decision was made - a reinforced battalion of the 31st Airborne Assault Brigade was delivered to the Russian Kant airbase in Kyrgyzstan to ensure security. Representatives of the CSTO, in turn, took part in the search for the organizers of the riots and ensured coordination of cooperation to suppress the activities of terrorist groups that actually influenced the situation from Afghanistan. Also, CSTO specialists were engaged in identifying instigators and instigators of hatred on the Internet. Non-lethal special means, special equipment, vehicles, including helicopters.

Following the events in Kyrgyzstan, CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha made a special statement, which, in particular, said that all CSTO member countries agreed that the introduction of peacekeeping troops into the republic during mass unrest was inappropriate: “The introduction of troops could would provoke an even greater aggravation of the situation in the region as a whole,” he noted.

In 2011, the same Alexander Lukashenko took the initiative to use the CRRF to prevent coups d'etat. “Because no one will go against us through war, at the front, but to carry out a constitutional revolution, many people’s hands are itching,” he noted then.

In 2012, the CSTO left Uzbekistan for the second time - among the reasons given were both disagreement with the organization’s policy towards Afghanistan and bilateral contradictions with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. This was not a serious blow to the CSTO - Uzbekistan’s participation during its “second coming” was largely formal.

However, as the terrorist threat in the Middle East and Central Asia intensified and NATO forces approached the borders of Russia and Belarus, it became clear that there was no alternative to the CSTO in the current situation. Ensuring internal and external security, as well as military-technical cooperation between our countries, is possible only with constant and effective interaction of all structures responsible for security, including parliamentary interaction.

By 2016, the CSTO approached as a fairly united and cohesive organization. Exercises of both the CRRF and other structures are regularly held, concepts and strategies are being developed, and interaction has been established with the UN, SCO, CIS, EAEU and other international organizations.

On this occasion, CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha has repeatedly noted that coverage of the CSTO’s activities in Russia is not at the proper level.

“I would like to refer to our latest experience - holding a motorcycle rally in the CSTO member states, with the exception of Armenia, since there were purely technical problems. Representatives of some bike clubs, together with representatives of the Minsk Motorcycle Plant, traveled through all the states of the bloc, met with the population everywhere, laid wreaths at the graves of military personnel who died in the Great Patriotic War. Patriotic War. According to their estimates, in all states, including small ones populated areas they know quite well about the CSTO, with the exception of the Russian Federation,” he noted at a press conference in 2013.

CSTO PA: great quality potential

Activation of inter-parliamentary cooperation within the framework of the CSTO PA with member countries of the organization, observers and all organizations interested in cooperation is becoming an important element of international security in the Eurasian space and throughout the world.

The unanimous election of the Chairman inspires some optimism about the development of the situation around the CSTO State Duma RF Vyacheslav Volodin for a similar post in the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly.

This, on the one hand, is a traditional decision - previously the CSTO PA was headed by the speakers of the State Duma of the previous and the year before last convocation Sergey Naryshkin And Boris Gryzlov respectively. But, judging by the changes that took place at the initiative of Vyacheslav Volodin in the State Duma, his chairmanship of the CSTO PA will not be “traditional”.

« It is obvious that the priority direction of the Assembly’s work for the next four years will be the implementation of the program to harmonize the national legislation of the member states of the Treaty - work began this year, the program is designed until 2020. And enough tasks have accumulated; security issues are among the top priorities. Five draft documents on the reconciliation of national laws have already been prepared by the CSTO Standing Committee on Defense and Security. They concern issues of combating corruption, drug trafficking, countering technological terrorism, training personnel in the field of “Security in emergency situations“, responding to crisis situations“, notes one of the Russian federal newspapers.

In his first speech in his new post, Volodin noted that the CSTO currently faces a number of priority tasks, including, in particular, accelerating the formation of a single legal space in the field of defense and security on the territory of the CSTO. Among other important areas of work, he named the parliamentary response to crisis situations not only in the CSTO space, but also beyond its borders.

Afghanistan and Serbia are already observers in the CSTO. Iran and Pakistan should receive this status in 2017. According to the Vice Speaker of the CSTO PA, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Yuri Vorobyov, Moldova showed interest in interacting with the CSTO - after the election of a socialist as president Igor Dodon, who has repeatedly stated the need to restore ties with Russia, relations between Moscow and Chisinau may, if not radically improve, then at least become less ideological and more pragmatic.

Among the tasks facing the CSTO PA and the organization as a whole, one can also note the need to establish such interaction with the structures of the CIS, EAEU, SCO and others, which would exclude duplication of functions and unnecessary competition between employees of the apparatuses of these organizations. All of the above interstate organizations face different tasks, and a “hardware war”, or rather, not even a war, but excessive competition will only lead to a decrease in the effectiveness of interaction in all areas, including security.

The organization itself remains quite closed, too focused on very specific security issues, which do not always become public. Experts note that new chairman The CSTO PA will be able to give impetus to the public component of the work, firstly, of the Parliamentary Assembly itself, and secondly, of the CSTO as a whole.

Here we can say that security issues will require a clear, understandable, and relevant legislative process. The dialogue of civil societies on security issues is becoming an important factor. Today there is a kind of debate going on between those who believe that democratic procedures should dominate the system, and between those who believe that security issues today require a departure from some principles. In this case, Volodin’s participation in this discussion will modernize it and raise it to the level of development of the entire civil society. And at the same time it will bring it into line with legislative needs and constitutional status.

The international agenda in the world remains tense, and the election of the US President Donald Trump added unpredictability to the foreign policy of this strongest and most influential country. In such a situation, states interested in maintaining peace and internal tranquility should combine their efforts as much as possible both in the fight against international terrorism and with the desire masquerading as “democratization” and “the fight for human rights.” Western countries impose their values ​​and weaken as much as possible the traditional way of life in the countries of Eastern Europe, Transcaucasia and Central Asia.

Cooperation within the CSTO is a striking example of how the most militarily powerful member of the organization, Russia, does not seek to impose its own values ​​on other participants and does not interfere in domestic policy their partners.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is a military-political alliance created by the former Soviet republics on the basis of the Collective Security Treaty (CST), signed on May 15, 1992. The contract is renewed automatically every five years.

CSTO members

On May 15, 1992, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan signed a collective security treaty (CST) in Tashkent. Azerbaijan signed the agreement on September 24, 1993, Georgia - on September 9, 1993, Belarus - on December 31, 1993.

The agreement entered into force on April 20, 1994. The contract was designed for 5 years and could be extended. On April 2, 1999, the presidents of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan signed a protocol to extend the treaty for the next five-year period, but Azerbaijan, Georgia and Uzbekistan refused to extend the treaty, and in the same year Uzbekistan joined GUUAM.

At the Moscow session of the CST on May 14, 2002, a decision was made to transform the CST into a full-fledged international organization - the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). On October 7, 2002, the Charter and Agreement on the legal status of the CSTO were signed in Chisinau, which were ratified by all CSTO member states and entered into force on September 18, 2003.

On August 16, 2006, a decision was signed in Sochi on the full accession (restoration of membership) of Uzbekistan to the CSTO.

Russia in lately pins great hopes on this organization, hoping with its help to strengthen its strategic positions in Central Asia. Russia considers this region a zone of its own strategic interests.

At the same time, the US Manas air base is located here on the territory of Kyrgyzstan, and Kyrgyzstan does not intend to do anything to close it. Tajikistan at the beginning of 2006 agreed to a significant build-up of the French military group located on its territory, operating as part of coalition forces in Afghanistan.

To strengthen the position of the CSTO, Russia proposes to reform the collective forces for rapid deployment of the Central Asian region. These forces consist of ten battalions: three each from Russia and Tajikistan, two each from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The total number of personnel of the collective forces is about 4 thousand people. The aviation component (10 aircraft and 14 helicopters) is located at the Russian Kant airbase in Kyrgyzstan.

A proposal to expand the scope of activities of collective forces is being considered - in particular, it is planned to use them in Afghanistan.

In connection with Uzbekistan’s accession to the CSTO, it is noted that back in 2005, the Uzbek authorities came up with a project to create international “anti-revolutionary” punitive forces in the post-Soviet space within the CSTO. In preparation for joining this organization, Uzbekistan has prepared a package of proposals for its improvement, including the creation within its framework of intelligence and counterintelligence structures, as well as the development of mechanisms that would allow the CSTO to provide internal security guarantees to the Central Asian states.

The organization is headed by its Secretary General. Since 2003, this has been Nikolai Bordyuzha. As is usual now, he comes from the “authorities”, a colonel general of the border troops. For the last couple of years before the collapse of the USSR, he worked as head of the KGB personnel department. After 1991, he commanded the border troops, and for a short time was the head of the presidential administration under Boris Yeltsin, and secretary of the Security Council. In short, an experienced comrade.

All members of the G7, with the possible exception of Kazakhstan, are in strong political, economic and military dependence on Moscow and need its diplomatic cover.

- The tasks of the CSTO are directly interconnected with integration processes in the post-Soviet space, and this relationship is growing stronger. The advancement of military-political integration in the CSTO format contributes to the deployment of integration processes, actually forms the “integration core” in the CIS, and contributes to the optimal “division of labor” in the Commonwealth. As for the place and role of the CSTO in the Eurasian Union, if one is formed, they can be very significant, since the Organization’s area of ​​responsibility covers vast spaces of Eurasia, and the Organization’s activities are aimed at creating a system of collective security in Europe and Asia, - said Nikolai Bordyuzha, commenting on the goals of creating the CSTO for the press.

On September 5, at a summit in Moscow, the leaders of the member countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization adopted a declaration in which they condemned Georgia for aggression, supported Russia’s actions and advocated “for ensuring lasting security for South Ossetia and Abkhazia.” The CSTO countries warned NATO against expanding to the East and announced plans to strengthen the military component of the organization.

Like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the CSTO spoke in favor of Russia's active role in promoting peace and cooperation in the region. However, the main thing - joint recognition of the two Transcaucasian republics by members of the Organization - did not happen.

The Russian President once again stated the need to strengthen the military component of the CSTO. Actually, there is nothing unusual about this, because the CSTO is a military organization created to protect member countries from external attacks. There are also mutual obligations in the event of an attack on one of the organization’s members. As Medvedev himself admitted, this was the main topic during his negotiations with his colleagues.

The main part of the document was devoted to the current situation in the world and the role of the CSTO itself in it. In the very first lines of the declaration, the leaders of the CSTO countries inform the world community that from now on they “are determined to adhere to close coordination of foreign policy interaction, a line on progressive development military and military-technical cooperation, improving the practice of joint work on all issues.” At the same time, declaring their firm intention to ensure security in the area of ​​their responsibility, the G7 warned against encroachments on this area, frankly making it clear how it would cooperate: “Serious conflict potential is accumulating in the immediate vicinity of the CSTO area of ​​responsibility. CSTO members call on NATO countries to weigh everything possible consequences expanding the alliance to the East and placing new missile defense facilities near the borders of member states.”

What is the CSTO (decoding)? Who is part of the organization that is often opposed to NATO today? You, dear readers, will find answers to all these questions in this article.

A brief history of the creation of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO transcript)

In 2002, a meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization was held in Moscow on the basis of a similar agreement signed in Tashkent ten years earlier (1992), and in October 2002 the CSTO Charter was adopted. We discussed and accepted the main provisions of the association - the Charter and the Agreement, which determined the international These documents became valid the following year.

CSTO tasks, decoding. Who is included in this organization?

In December 2004, the CSTO officially received observer status, which once again confirmed the respect of the international community for this organization.

The CSTO transcript was given above. What are the main tasks of this organization? This:

    military-political cooperation;

    resolving important international and regional issues;

    creation of mechanisms for multilateral cooperation, including in the military component;

    ensuring national and collective security;

    countering international terrorism, drug trafficking, illegal migration, transnational crime;

    ensuring information security.

Main Collective Security Treaty ( CSTO transcript) is to continue and strengthen relations in foreign policy, military, military-technical spheres, to coordinate joint efforts in the fight against international terrorism and other threats to security. Its position on the world stage is a large eastern influential military association.

Let's summarize the interpretation of the CSTO (decoding, composition):

    The abbreviation stands for Collective Security Treaty Organization.

    Today it includes six permanent members - Russia, Tajikistan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and Kazakhstan, as well as two observer states at the parliamentary assembly - Serbia and Afghanistan.

CSTO at present

The organization can provide comprehensive protection to member states, as well as quickly respond to a large volume of pressing problems and threats both within the bloc and outside its competence.

A tough confrontation between East and West, the USA and the Russian Federation, sanctions and the situation in Ukraine are on the agenda interesting question about whether the CSTO is capable of becoming an eastern alternative to NATO, or is it nothing more than a cordon sanitaire , intended to create a buffer zone around Russia that serves as an instrument to ensure Russian hegemony in the region?

Key problems of the organization

Currently CSTO time suffers from the same two problems as NATO. First, it is one dominant force bearing the entire financial and military burden, while many members contribute virtually nothing to the alliance. Second, the organization struggles to find a legitimate justification for its existence. Unlike NATO, the CSTO has another fundamental problem - the organization's members are never truly secure and they have different, often quite contradictory, visions of what the CSTO should look like.

While Russia is content to build up its military infrastructure and use the territories of CSTO member states to station troops, other countries often see the organization as a tool to prop up their authoritarian regimes or ease ethnic tensions still remaining from the collapse of the Soviet Union. This stark contrast in how participants view the organization creates an atmosphere of mistrust.

CSTO and Russian Federation

Russia is the successor state of the former superpower, and its leadership experience alone has guaranteed its relevance on the world stage, which puts it several heads above all the member powers and makes it a strong leader in the organization.

By negotiating a number of strategic military deals with CSTO allies, such as the construction of new air bases in Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia in 2016, Russia has been able to strengthen its presence in these countries and their respective regions, as well as reduce NATO influence there. Despite economic difficulties, Russia is further increasing military spending and plans to complete an ambitious military modernization program by 2020, demonstrating its desire to play an increasingly important role on a global scale.

In the short term, Russia will achieve its goals and consolidate its influence using the resources of the CSTO. Decoding the leading country is not difficult: it wants to counteract NATO’s aspirations in Central Asia and the Caucasus. By creating the conditions for deeper integration, Russia opened the way for the creation of effective collective security with a structure similar to its Western neighbor.

We hope that now you can decipher the CSTO as a powerful regional organization became clear.