Importance of the CSTO's Parliamentary Diplomacy Stressed at the Security Forum in Moscow

Sergei Pospelov, Executive Secretary of the CSTO PA, spoke at the plenary session of the International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues in Moscow.

He pointed out that the CSTO today is rightfully called the "security umbrella" of the Eurasian integration processes. The Organization has obtained that status through the approximation and harmonization of the legislation of its Member States, especially on security and defence.

In his speech, Sergei Pospelov emphasized that the Assembly works ahead of the curve – analyzes the national legislation of each of the CSTO Member States and monitors the military and political situation, including the situation during the CSTO Collective Forces' military exercises. Particular attention is paid to working towards the creation of a unified list of terrorist organizations and the harmonization of the relevant national laws, which allows the Member States to establish a united front against terrorism.

"Due to the hybrid use of force, it has become a reality that terrorism is used by the world's destructive forces as a power component, so we continue to pay greater attention to combating these forces. The CSTO model anti-terrorist legal framework currently consists of 10 acts directly aimed at countering terrorism and extremism. More than 20 subsidiary model acts contribute to solving this important problem in various aspects," the Executive Secretary of the CSTO shared.

Among the new challenges, Sergei Pospelov mentioned biological and medical security. The coronavirus pandemic has shown the need to harmonize legislation in this area, and the Assembly experts have already prepared relevant recommendations and draft laws.

In addition, Sergei Pospelov emphasized that foreign interference and protection of electoral sovereignty are the most important hybrid challenges. Therefore, the Assembly adopted Recommendations on protection of electoral processes, and the CSTO PA international observation groups regularly monitor elections in the Member States of the Organization.

The Executive Secretary of the CSTO PA paid special attention to the work of parliamentarians and experts on information and digital security: 19 model acts have been adopted, including laws on cybersecurity and protection of critical information infrastructure.

He pointed out that the Assembly also addresses the issues of regulating the use of artificial intelligence and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, including in outer space.

In conclusion, Sergei Pospelov called for further strengthening of the CSTO legal framework, joint work on developing effective solutions and furthering interparliamentary cooperation to counter modern hybrid challenges and strengthen collective security in the Eurasian space.