YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARTSAKHPRESS. Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko called for greater unity in the Collective Security Treaty Organization as he met with Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Imangali Tasmagambetov on 13 February, BelTA reports.
“Challenges are many. We took the risk to compile the program of our presidency in the organization so that we could try to solve the problems that we have, especially on the borders of CSTO member states. I do not speak of your experience in vain. You have a great memory. You know well both the Caucasus and Central Asia. We have problems there. Let us try to resolve them and, as much as possible, bring the Collective Security Treaty Organization together in these difficult times. You see what is happening on the perimeter,” BelTA quoted President Lukashenko as saying.
Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that all members of the CSTO should unite and act together.
“If someone thinks that the conflict between Ukraine and Russia is not our conflict, that we will sit quietly somewhere – nothing of the kind, it will not be like that. The time will come (it is not far away, literally tomorrow) and it will require us to define ourselves, to take a certain position. I am not saying that this should be done to the detriment of national interests. Despite all the shortcomings in the union we will have to clearly define our policy, our line in order to act together. It is always simpler and easier to act together,” President Lukashenko said.
President Lukashenko stressed that no one is pushing states to act contrary to their national interests. “We will have to find compromises however. Within the CSTO we have found them long ago, and we act as one organization. I think we have to go through this difficult period, and it will further unite our organization on the principles that are necessary and possible for every state, which is a member of this organization. Let us think about it together,” the Belarusian leader said.
The Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Imangali Tasmagambetov, who assumed office on 10 January 2023, was to submit to the Belarusian head of state an action plan to implement the decisions of the November (2022) session of the CSTO Collective Security Council and the CSTO’s priority areas of activity during the chairmanship of Belarus in the organization.
