Stanislav Zas: CSTO supports further expansion of counter-terrorism cooperation with the UN

The Collective Security Treaty Organization is interested in enhancing the role of the United Nations in the world and considers the world organization as a key international partner. Stanislav Zas, CSTO Secretary General, said this via video conference on Wednesday, February 16, at a UN Security Council meeting Cooperation Between the United Nations and Regional and Subregional Organizations in Maintaining International Peace and Security: Cooperation Between the United Nations and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
“We regard the UN as our main international partner and are interested in strengthening the role of the global organization,” the CSTO Secretary General said.
“This approach is enshrined in the statement of the CSTO foreign ministers on reaffirming the commitment to the principles of the UN Charter and strengthening cooperation to ensure their strict observance,” Mr Zas added.
The CSTO Secretary General stressed the intention to further develop all areas of cooperation with the UN, including with the Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy based on the Joint Declaration on Cooperation between the CSTO and UN Secretariats dated March 18, 2010. “We fully support the points outlined by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres in the new agenda for peace that concern the importance of reducing strategic security risks through preventive regional activities and agree with his assessment that regional security organisations play a central role in maintaining peace and preventing and overcoming instability. For its part, the CSTO is committed to effectively carrying out these tasks within its area of responsibility and has the necessary capacity,” TASS quoted the CSTO Secretary General as saying.
It is noted that the CSTO advocates further expansion of counter-terrorism cooperation with the UN.
“We are satisfied with the development of our interaction with the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism and the Executive Director of the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, as well as the UN Office on Drugs and Crime within the existing memoranda. We support further extension of this cooperation,” Stanislav Zas said.
He stressed that the CSTO is also working on the participation of its peacekeepers in the UN operations.
“We are considering participation of the CSTO peacekeepers in the UN peacekeeping operations,” the CSTO Secretary General said.
Stanislav Zas added that the organization was ready to provide combined peacekeeping units staffed by CSTO members. “We are ready to provide combined peacekeeping units, including military police, medical, engineer [units], which would be manned by members of our Organization,” the CSTO Secretary General added.
“It is clear that the severity of regional conflicts is not diminishing and poses a permanent threat to international peace. We are ready to use our considerable capacity for preventive action and overcoming the danger by combining the efforts of the CSTO and specialized UN security structures, first of all, in peacekeeping and in combating new challenges and threats,” the CSTO Secretary General noted.