Gennady Lepeshko: Consolidation of CSTO Efforts Is a Guarantor of Stability in the Eastern European Region

Today, at the visiting session of the Coordination Meeting of Chairpersons of Committees (Commissions) on Defense and Security of the Parliaments of the CSTO Member States under the CSTO PA Council, Gennady Lepeshko, Chairman of the Standing Commission on National Security of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, gave a speech on the military-political situation in Eastern Europe. He focused mainly on measures to strengthen the collective defense of the Organization's member states.

Assessing the current situation, Gennady Lepeshko said that CSTO member states are developing comprehensive defense measures in response to NATO's growing military presence near Belarus' borders, the build-up of its arsenal and unprecedented sanctions pressure.

He listed the following priorities as key to ensuring reliable protection of CSTO member states:

- Stronger defense capabilities: boosting the readiness and coordination of Collective Forces to defend the Organization's borders.

- Legal integration: harmonizing member states' laws to ensure a rapid response to modern threats, including cyber attack

- Political unity: presenting a united front on the international stage, resisting attempts to drive a wedge between allies and withstanding economic pressure together.

In conclusion, Gennady Lepeshko emphasized that, given current geopolitical situation, security can only be collective.

"Amid rising military threats in the region, our primary and most effective response must be to further consolidate the efforts of lawmakers and all the CSTO bodies to ensure reliable collective security," he said.