CSTO PA Standing Commission on Political Affairs and International Cooperation promotes coordination of activities between parliamentary delegations of the CSTO States in foreign-policy platforms

Standing Commission on Political Affairs and International Cooperation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization was established by the decision of the first CSTO PA plenary session on March 30, 2007.
According to the Regulations on the CSTO PA Standing Commissions, it carries out preliminary review, prepares draft decisions for submission to the Council and the CSTO PA plenary sessions, analyses information and discusses issues related to its activities.
The Commission focuses its main efforts on the formation of the CSTO legal framework designed to approximate and harmonize CSTO States’ national legislations in the area of foreign policy, as well as the implementation of the relevant decisions of the CSTO Collective Security Council.
In addition, at the parliamentary level, the Standing Commission contributes to improving the international status of the CSTO, consolidates CSTO efforts with other international organizations to counter modern challenges and threats; uses parliamentary means to develop CSTO relations with international organizations, including the UN, SCO, OSCE, CIS and IPU, participates in the drafting of agreements on international cooperation.
The Commission prepares draft statements and addresses on behalf of the CSTO PA and its Council on policy issues that affect the interests of the Organization’s States, coordinates positions together with the CSTO States’ parliamentary delegations within the OSCE PA and PACE and establishes mutual assistance between them.
Since its establishment, the Commission has held more than 30 meetings (including a field meeting in Yerevan in 2016).
Representatives of the Standing Commission participated in international observation of the election of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2015, 2019), election to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (2016), election of the President of the Russian Federation (2018); election to the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic (2015, 2020), election of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic (2021) and election to Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2016, 2021).
Vice President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Alen Simonyan is the Chairman of the CSTO PA Standing Commission on Political Affairs and International Cooperation.