CSTO foreign ministers pass resolutions on Afghanistan, Syria

07:23, 4 April 2014

MOSCOW. KAZINFORM - The Council of ministers of foreign affairs of the Collective Security Treaty Organization member states has passed resolutions on the situation in Afghanistan and Syria. A session of the Council took place in Moscow on 3 April. Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei took part in the session, BelTA has learned.

After the session Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told media that participants of the session had shared opinions regarding topical international security problems, including those in the CSTO responsibility area. Close attention was paid to the coordination of foreign policies. In particular, the ministers signed a plan for consultations of representatives of CSTO member states to discuss foreign policy, security, and defense matters in H2 2014 - H1 2015. The plan includes over 20 events.

Apart from that, the CSTO foreign ministers okayed a list of topics for the CSTO member states to make joint statements on in the United Nations Organization, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and other international bodies. Sergei Lavrov said the resolution on Afghanistan was one of the documents. In his words, the resolution evaluates the situation in Afghanistan and outlines steps to neutralize the threats originating from the Afghanistan territory.

Another resolution was passed on 3 April in view of the escalating situation in Syria's northwest. Sergei Lavrov remarked that the CSTO member states believe in stopping the terrorist threat in the Syrian territory without delay.

The Russian Foreign Minister also remarked that at the session the sides shared views regarding the situation in Ukraine. In his words, participants of the session spoke in favor of the need to suppress activities of radicals and disarm illegal militant groups. Sergei Lavrov noted that the Ukrainian government is working on it but the measures should be more persistent, BelTA reports.

In turn, Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Nikolai Bordyuzha added that during the discussion about the situation in the CSTO responsibility area and neighboring areas participants of the session acknowledged it is necessary to step up contacts with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, enable direct contacts with authorities of all levels in Afghanistan, and more actively cooperate with China in security matters.

Parties and Organizations News Foreign policy CSTO