The CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) is a regional intergovernmental organization that includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. The primary goal of the CSTO is to ensure collective security, stability, and protection of the independence of its member states against external threats.
The CSTO is governed by the Collective Security Council, which consists of the presidents of the member countries. The Council appoints the organization's Secretary-General. Currently, the Secretary-General is Imangali Tasmagambetov.
The session of the Council took place in Astana, first in a narrow format, which included not only our President but also the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, the President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, and the CSTO Secretary-General, Imangali Tasmagambetov. It then continued in a broader format with the participation of other officials.
Speeches of Leaders
The meeting was opened by the Head of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who emphasized that the CSTO is becoming one of the most important structures for maintaining peace and stability in the Eurasian space. In the face of modern challenges, the CSTO demonstrates its relevance as a guarantor of security for all member states. President Tokayev noted that coordinated actions, mutual trust, and support significantly strengthen the collective ability of states to address complex and large-scale tasks.
“The CSTO is not only a military partnership but also a unique mechanism that unites efforts and resources to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our countries,” he stated.
Under Kazakhstan's chairmanship, the CSTO conducted about 60 events this year aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of operational responses in crisis situations. The main focus was on combating modern threats such as terrorism, cyberattacks, transnational crime, and drug trafficking, resulting in successful joint special operations: in countering drug trafficking "Channel," illegal migration "Illegal," crimes committed using information technology - "PROXY," and the anti-terrorist operation "Mercenary."
During the session, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin also spoke, detailing the weaponry available to Russia and its characteristics, including the latest hypersonic missile system "Oreshnik," comparing it with existing advanced weaponry worldwide. In his address, the Russian leader could not avoid the issue of the military conflict with Ukraine, as one of the CSTO participants, he is obliged to keep the other members informed of the evolving situation, potential threats, and prospects for conflict resolution. He noted that the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has information on the number of weapon systems held by NATO, as a supplier of arms to Ukraine, how many of these systems are in warehouses, where these warehouses are located, and how much more weaponry is planned to be supplied to Ukraine.
“As for the production of the relevant missile systems and equipment, it is ten times greater in Russia than the total production of all NATO countries combined. And next year, this production will increase by another 25-30%,” the President of the Russian Federation emphasized.
This speech is of immense significance for CSTO countries, as it is essential to acknowledge that other member states do not possess weaponry of such a level produced domestically. For collective protection of security and peace on the Eurasian continent, the availability of modern types of weaponry is of paramount importance, especially considering the escalating political situation globally. Thus, CSTO countries are largely compelled to rely on the presence of modern weapon systems in the Russian Federation and its rapid production capabilities. During a press conference, Vladimir Putin stated that Russia would not seek assistance from CSTO forces in the event of strikes by long-range missiles against Russia, acknowledging that the CSTO member states would not be able to aid his country's missile defense.
Next year, the presidency of the CSTO will pass to the Kyrgyz Republic. President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov elaborated on the organization's plans for 2025, emphasizing the need to analyze the impact of subversive destructive ideologies among the youth for further development of measures to curb them, as well as promoting cooperation on preventing and suppressing the use of information technologies for terrorist and extremist purposes. Japarov announced an International Cybersecurity Conference to be held in Kyrgyzstan.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, following the meeting with the leaders of the organization in a narrow format, voiced the firm readiness of all organization participants to act collectively to prevent challenges and threats to collective security.
Signed Documents
During the session, 14 documents were signed, among which the most significant are the following:
- Declaration of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
- “Decision of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization on the Target Interstate Program of the Collective Security Treaty Organization to Strengthen the Tajik-Afghan Border.”
- Statement of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in connection with the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945.
- Decision of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization “On Further Strengthening Allied Relations within the Framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.”
- Decision of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization “On the List of Typical Modern and Prospective Models of Armaments, Military and Special Equipment Proposed for Equipping the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces of the Central Asian Region of Collective Security.”
In the Declaration adopted in Astana on November 28, 2024, emphasis is placed on the commitment to cooperation among the countries and the further development of the CSTO in accordance with the principles of international law and the UN Charter, the necessity of forming and developing a stable security system in Eurasia in the interests of maintaining stability and peaceful coexistence of all Eurasian states. The CSTO countries expressed their support for the formation of a multipolar world based on the principle of equal security and their readiness to cooperate with other states and intergovernmental associations to maintain peace and stability. It was emphasized that military cooperation within the Organization is not directed against third countries and has a purely defensive nature.
The aforementioned foundations of cooperation within the CSTO are primarily aimed at creating a positive image of the organization as a platform for diplomatic interaction and thus represent a strategic step aimed at uniting the countries of the region in the face of common challenges to jointly ensure security and stability in Eurasia.
Specific points in the Declaration reflect the concerns of the member states regarding the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone and express the necessity of political resolution. The importance of supporting the establishment of Afghanistan as a unified and peaceful state free from war, terrorism, and drugs, capable of development and integration into regional systems, and the necessity of increasing the volume of humanitarian aid to this country is also emphasized.
It is important to understand that the increase in the number of ISIS camps on the slopes of the Afghan mountains near Tajikistan poses a real threat. In our country's media space, there is a tendency to ignore this problem or present it in unrealistic terms; however, the recent attack on employees of a Chinese company and the murder of one of them in early November 2024 by militants crossing the Tajikistan border vividly illustrated the real security threats in the region. Sustainable economic development in Afghanistan, along with the possible unification of all regions of the country under a single governing authority, will contribute to strengthening stability in that state, which in turn will enhance the security of Tajik borders and affect the overall security level of the region. The leaders of the states demonstrated an understanding of the seriousness of the situation, which is why an additional document was signed alongside the Declaration, namely, the “Decision of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization on the Target Interstate Program of the Collective Security Treaty Organization to Strengthen the Tajik-Afghan Border.” The text of the decision has not been published.
Another important signed document is the Statement of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in connection with the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945, in which the parties pay tribute to the millions of people who perished in the Great Patriotic War, including soldiers, partisans, victims of occupation, and workers of the rear. The statement particularly emphasizes that the end of this war was made possible by the unity and heroism of the peoples involved in the fight against Nazism and calls for preserving the memory of their courage.
The statement condemns the rewriting of history and attempts to downplay the significance of Victory, as well as the glorification of the Nazi movement. It underscores the importance of the outcomes of the Nuremberg Trials, which recognized Nazi organizations as criminal.
The document also calls for the inadmissibility of igniting new conflicts on a global scale and notes the necessity of a world order based on the cultural and civilizational diversity of the modern world, the natural right of peoples to determine their own paths and models of development, through the realization of the fundamental principle of the UN Charter regarding the sovereign equality of states.
Documents numbered 4-5 have not been published, but from their titles, it can be inferred that they likely address issues of expanding