CSTO PA Chairman Volodin: CSTO Parliamentary Assembly contributes to security and sovereignty of states

Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization stressed the importance of direct dialogue and mutual trust among the Organization’s parliamentarians.
“Colleagues, we still have a lot to do to converge our approaches in addressing global challenges and threats,” Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the CSTO PA and Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, said in his speech.
The CSTO PA Chairman congratulated the participants of the meeting on the 30th anniversary of the Collective Security Treaty and the 20th anniversary of the Organization and said, “Our main task is the approximation and harmonization of national legislation. During the entire period of work 72 model laws and recommendations have been adopted. They concern combating terrorism and extremism, organized crime and drug trafficking, ensuring military-technical cooperation and providing humanitarian aid. But a lot still needs to be done.”
Vyacheslav Volodin reminded about the decisions adopted following the CSTO summit of May 16, 2022 and emphasized that it was an important guideline for the work of the Parliamentary Assembly to ensure protection of sovereignty of our countries and progressive development of forces and assets of collective security system. “The effectiveness of the CSTO has been proven by the peacekeeping operation in the Republic of Kazakhstan in January 2022,” said Vyacheslav Volodin. He underlined that it was necessary to work on the basis of this experience to improve CSTO’s peacekeeping potential.
The Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly stressed that illegal sanctions, foreign interference in domestic affairs, especially during elections and referenda, are challenges that have already been faced today. “This is another testimony to the correctness of the decision to develop a legal standard to protect democratic elections in our countries from foreign interference,” Vyacheslav Volodin stressed.
As one of the most important topics Vyacheslav Volodin named the issue of biological security in the Eurasian space.
“Confirmed facts have been sent to CSTO Member States about how and for what purposes the Pentagon conducted military and biological activities on the territory of Ukraine. The laboratories set up by Washington did not have a sufficient level of protection to work with dangerous pathogens,” said Vyacheslav Volodin.
The Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization suggested that at the autumn session, as part of the parliamentary dimension of the Organization, the Council members should hear a report of the Commission of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on the investigation of the circumstances related to the establishment of biological laboratories by American specialists in Ukraine.
“The unchecked operation of these laboratories creates the risk of spreading new virus strains and pandemics of infectious diseases for which there are no cures or vaccines,” stressed Vyacheslav Volodin.
The Chairman of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly called for strengthening further cooperation within the Assembly.
“Life itself has shown that today we can count on time-tested good-neighbourly relations between our countries. Colleagues, it is important for us to speak with one voice at the international level,”
“Today some countries are making attempts to block or suspend the work of our delegations to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. It is important to take a consolidated position on this issue if it is raised at the summer session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly,” said Vyacheslav Volodin.