Marat Imankulov: CSTO Accurately Identifies Hotbeds of Challenges and Threats

The Oy Ordo Center for Expert Initiatives in Bishkek hosted the round table titled “CSTO 2025: Kyrgyzstan's role in reducing regional threats in the context of growing geopolitical tension”.

In his speech, Marat Imankulov, Secretary of the Security Council of the Kyrgyz Republic, pointed out that the Collective Security Treaty Organization always accurately identifies for itself hotbeds of challenges and threats.

“For example, in the western and north-western directions, including in Eastern Europe and from the closest states and alliances, an increase in military capacity, intelligence activities, as well as political, information and cyber pressure have been recorded for a long time,” said Marat Imankulov.

He also drew attention to the escalating situation in the Middle East, where the processes of balance of power redistribution have been ongoing since the Arab Spring.

“The future of Syria also cannot be called definitely clear and acquiring stability. The new authorities have yet to confront ISIS, their main ideological opponent that is the most equipped for fighting,” said the Secretary of the Security Council of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Nurlan Abdrakhmanov, director of the first political department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, also spoke at the round table.

“Before assuming the chairmanship, we carefully studied international events, analyzed key issues that formed the basis for the priorities of our chairmanship and the vision of the CSTO's future. To us, the main task is continuing work on adapting the Organization to the rapidly changing political and economic conditions,” the diplomat noted, emphasizing that today, international and regional organizations play an important role in resolving crisis situations and disagreements.

According to him, during its presidency, Kyrgyzstan will take steps to develop the peacekeeping component by increasing activities of the Special Representative of the CSTO Secretary General on peacekeeping issues. Improving the efficiency of military and economic cooperation will also become a priority.

“Kyrgyzstan will continue to develop inter-parliamentary cooperation in the CSTO, seeking to harmonize the legislation of its Member States and expand interaction with the parliaments of other states and international organizations,” said the director of the first political department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan.

The participants of the round table noted that in today's context, no state and no organization can independently guarantee full protection from existing threats. Therefore, a strategically important task is to increase the level of interaction between the CSTO and other international structures and third states.