CSTO Countries to Strengthen Cooperation Related to the Ministries of Emergency Situations

On February 7, the State Duma hosted the third meeting of the Chairmen of the Committees of the Parliaments of the CSTO Member States, which are responsible for international relations, defence, and security. 
 
Aleksei Serko, Deputy Minister of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters, reported on the international activity of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. 
 
According to the report, 52 humanitarian operations were carried out in 2023 to deliver Russian humanitarian aid by air and sea, extinguish wildfires, and conduct emergency rescue operations in countries affected by emergencies. A total of 27 countries received aid last year. These are the countries of the CIS, Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
 
"It is important for us that one of the priorities of Kazakhstan's chairmanship in the CSTO is cooperation related to emergency and rescue services," said Aleksei Serko. 
 
Ulan Primov, Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs, Defence, Security, and Migration of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic, thanked the Russian side for assistance in eliminating the consequences of the accident at the thermal power plant in Bishkek.
 
With the support of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations transferred to its Kyrgyz counterpart 40 units of domestic specialized firefighting equipment, as well as a Mi-8 helicopter with a spillway device and the necessary equipment for the sanitary evacuation of victims.
 
In 2023, special attention was paid to the state task to organize evacuation of Russian citizens from foreign countries. In November and December 2023, a total of 1,156 people were delivered to their homeland by departmental aviation of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.
 
From October to December 2023, over 390 tons of humanitarian cargo were delivered through 17 flights of IL-76 aircraft.
 
In September 2023, within the framework of cooperation between the rescue agencies of the CSTO Member States, Belarus hosted the "Skala 2023" exercise for the rescue units of the emergency departments of the CSTO Member States.
 
At present, higher professional education institutions of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations continue to train 403 specialists for CSTO Member States on a preferential basis. These are future firefighters, rescuers, and specialists of supervisory bodies.
 
It is planned to further develop and support the Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Center and the Russian-Armenian Humanitarian Response Center.
 
The participants of the meeting agreed to further strengthen cooperation within the CSTO related to the Ministries of Emergency Situations.