Nikolai Bordyuzha: CSTO mission in Kazakhstan proved the relevance of collective mechanisms

The peacekeeping mission of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has proved the relevance of collective mechanisms. According to TASS, Nikolai Bordyuzha, Chairman of the Executive Committee of Analytica, the Association for the Promotion of Analytical Potential of the Individual, Society and State, stated this on Tuesday at the press conference dedicated to CSTO peacekeeping operations. As you may recall, Nikolai Bordyuzha was Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization from April 28, 2003 to December 31, 2016.
“These actions [the Kazakhstan mission – TASS] has unequivocally confirmed the need for all collective security mechanisms existing within the CSTO,” he said. “I am convinced that instability in Kazakhstan would entail instability in the Central Asian region and, considering the unstable Afghanistan and dormant terrorist cells in the Central Asian region, this would have very serious consequences not only for the security of Central Asian states, but also for China and the Russian Federation.”
According to Nikolai Bordyuzha, these collective mechanisms – bilateral groupings of collective rapid response forces, collective activities in the field of information security and migration policy – “need to develop, improve, be more relevant.”
Chairman of the Executive Committee of Analytica Association stressed that the integration will only deepen, recalling that during the meeting of the CSTO Collective Security Council that was held immediately after the deployment of peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan, the presidents of almost all Member States of the Organization spoke of the need to improve the collective potential. “We need to improve decision-making procedures, equipment and weapons for various forces: everyone spoke of the need to deepen integration ties and raise the level of integration,” he said.
In early January, riots broke out in Kazakhstan, with participants attacking police and troops. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev denounced the attempted coup and asked for support from the CSTO. The support was provided, and all CSTO Member States – Republic of Armenia, Republic of Belarus, Kyrgyz Republic and Republic of Tajikistan –deployed their peacekeeping units to Kazakhstan. In accordance with the agreements, they ensured the security of strategic and life-support facilities on the territory of Kazakhstan.
By January 7 the situation has been stabilized and on January 19 the state of emergency was lifted across the country, and CSTO peacekeepers returned to their permanent bases.
Touching upon possible participation of CSTO peacekeepers in UN missions, Nikolai Bordyuzha said that this issue had been under discussion with the structures of the international organization for about 8 years. “CSTO peacekeepers are registered in the UN, which means they will be involved if necessary,” he said.
“The current state of the CSTO peacekeeping contingent shows that it can be involved in the United Nations’ operations,” BelTA quotes Nikolai Bordyuzha, Chairman of the Executive Committee of Analytica, the Association for the Promotion of Analytical Potential of the Individual, Society and State.