Vladimir Putin: CSTO has noticeably strengthened and gained authority as an organization defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the CSTO countries

Russian President Vladimir Putin made the following statement at the meeting of heads of CSTO Member States dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Collective Security Treaty and the 20th anniversary of the CSTO: “Over the past decades, the Collective Security Treaty Organization has noticeably strengthened and gained authority as an effective regional defence structure which ensures security and stability in the Eurasian space, reliably protects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its Member States. It is very important that interaction within the CSTO has always been in the spirit of true alliance based on the principles of friendship and good-neighbourly relations, respect and consideration for each other’s interests, mutual assistance and support. This is what is happening now in the current challenging situation,” stressed the President of the Russian Federation.
Mr Putin noted that the successful CSTO peacekeeping operation in Kazakhstan in January this year at the request of Kazakhstan’s leadership demonstrated the maturity of the Organization and its real capability to adequately address pressing challenges and threats.
“The contingent of the CSTO Collective Force, which was deployed for a limited period of time, prevented a coup in Kazakhstan by extremists who were managed from abroad, among other things, and helped to quickly stabilize the internal political situation in the Republic,” Vladimir Putin stressed, recalling that the use of Peacekeeping Force at the request of Kazakhstan’s leadership was the first such operation in the existence of the CSTO.
“The operation has revealed the strengths of practical interaction between our military structures and special services and at the same time revealed the areas that require further work,” the President of the Russian Federation said.
"Today we will sign a joint statement which, taking into account the experience gained during the operation, will confirm the determination of our States to continue partnering in various areas of military and defence development and increasing coordinated actions in the international arena,” Vladimir Putin said.