🌍🎙️ On May 19, the OSCE venue at the Hofburg (Vienna, Austria) hosted an international roundtable discussion titled “The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO): Together for Strengthening International Peace and Stability”, organized by the Delegation of the Russian Federation to the Vienna Negotiations on Military Security and Arms Control.
The event was attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps, international organizations (the UN, the OSCE, the CIS, and the SCO), the expert community, and journalists. Countries of the Global South also expressed interest in the topic.
The roundtable began with a speech by CSTO Secretary General T. Masadykov on the Organization’s main areas of activity. The priorities of Russia’s CSTO Chairpersonship were outlined in a speech by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation A. Pankin. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus I. Sekreta spoke about the Organization’s contribution to building an Eurasian security architecture. The Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff, Colonel General A. Serdyukov, focused on military-political cooperation among Member States. The Chairman of the CSTO Permanent Council and Russia’s Permanent and Plenipotentiary Representative to the Organization, V. Vasilyev, highlighted the main areas of activity of the CSTO’s key body. Substantive contributions to the discussion were also made by the CIS Executive Committee and the SCO Secretariat.
During the discussion, participants emphasized that the CSTO’s strategic goal is to ensure collective security by consolidating efforts based on partnership and universally recognized norms and principles of international law. The guiding principle of the Organization’s actions is the rejection of bloc mentality and the prioritization of peaceful, diplomatic efforts. The CSTO does not aim to act as a counterweight to any other organization or country.
On the sidelines of the event, following a lengthy break, CSTO Secretary General T. Masadykov met with OSCE Secretary General F. Sinirlioğlu.
The roundtable discussion helped raise the international community’s awareness of the CSTO’s goals and objectives, as well as the Organization’s commitment to establishing contacts with other multilateral security structures. Those in attendance were able to see for themselves that the Organization’s constructive and unifying goals have remained unchanged for decades; rather than seeking external enemies, it addresses security challenges in an inclusive and constructive manner, without resorting to confrontation.
Drawing on our shared history, common interests, and collective capabilities, our nations have for many decades jointly formed one of the most reliable pillars of the emerging multipolar world and have begun moving toward a future system of collective security in Eurasia. As part of this system, everyone is encouraged to focus their efforts on creating a unified space of peace and development free of any dividing lines, including the establishment of a flexible and sustainable security architecture capable of addressing today’s challenges.