Secretaries of the security councils of the CSTO States adopted a statement on strengthening cooperation and coordination of efforts to combat international terrorism and the spread of terrorist and related extremist ideology

Today, on November 17, 2020, a remote meeting of the Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils of the Collective Security Treaty Organization took place. The meeting was chaired by Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.
According to the CSTO’s official website, secretaries of security councils of the CSTO Member States and Stanislav Zas, CSTO Secretary General, attended the meeting. “The rapid spread of the coronavirus has changed the way of life practically everywhere in the world. This is a test of strength of the global political and economic system. At the same time, already now it is safe to say that our states are adequately facing this challenge,” Mr Patrushev said in his opening remarks.
According to him, in order to overcome the consequences of the pandemic, it is important to share current information, help each other whenever necessary by sending tests, drugs and personal protective equipment, by developing and testing vaccines, as well as by holding consultations concerning the provision of medical assistance to citizens of the CSTO Member States. “We will have to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the consequences of the pandemic and develop collective approaches to cooperation within the CSTO in the field of biological security,” said the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.
Assessing the military and political situation in the world, Stanislav Zas, CSTO Secretary General, noted that the level of tension, including in the CSTO area of responsibility and in close proximity to it, has increased significantly over the past year. “Today, the need to consolidate international efforts to overcome confrontation and reduce existing threats is increasingly evident. This is especially important amid the dismantling of the main geopolitical agreements that for many years have ensured the balance of power and stability in the world,” said Stanislav Zas.
Igor Zubov, Secretary of State and deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, reported on the results of the CSTO Members States’ Coordination Council of the Heads of Competent Authorities for Countering the Illicit Drug Trafficking, as well as on the 2021–2025 Antidrug Strategy of the CSTO Member States, which will be submitted to the CSTO Collective Security Council on December 2.
When implemented, the strategy will make it possible to respond quickly to changes in the drug-related situation in the territory of the CSTO Member States and to reduce the scope of illicit trafficking in controlled psychoactive compounds and their non-medical use. The draft document was developed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in cooperation with the competent authorities of the CSTO Member States in pursuance of the CSTO Collective Security Strategy Implementation Plan until 2025 and the priorities of the Russian Federation during its CSTO chairmanship.
CSTO Security Council members have approved the Plan for Joint Training of the Formations of the Forces and Means of the CSTO Collective Security System for 2021 and the Plan for Consultations of Representatives of the CSTO Member States on Foreign Policy, Security and Defence for the second half of 2020 and the first half of 2021.
The meeting participants adopted the Statement of the Secretaries of the CSTO Member States’ Security Councils on Strengthening Cooperation and Coordination of Efforts to Combat International Terrorism and the Spread of Terrorist and Related Extremist Ideology.
According to Nikolai Patrushev, the security council secretaries paid special attention to information security. “We have agreed to continue with military exercises, during which new forms and ways of using Collective Force will be practiced.
We noted that the established Collective Force is capable enough now to perform the assigned tasks. We discussed plans to continue equipping them with modern weapons and military equipment, control and communication systems. We analysed the prospects of CSTO’s peacekeeping activities with an emphasis on CSTO forces’ possible participation in UN-led peacekeeping operations,” said Nikolai Patrushev.
He expressed the opinion that during Russia’s CSTO chairmanship, it was possible to achieve the objectives set by the heads of CSTO Member States for the current year, despite the challenges associated with the difficult epidemiological situation, as well as the deteriorating military and political situation in the world and in the regions bordering the CSTO area of responsibility.