Who is included in the CSTO for a year. There are no alternatives: history and prospects of the CSTO. CSTO currently

The Collective Security Treaty was signed on May 15, 1992 in Tashkent by the heads of six CIS member states - Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. In September 1993, Azerbaijan joined it, in December 1993 – Georgia and Belarus. The treaty came into force for all nine countries in April 1994 for a period of five years. In April 1999, the Protocol on the extension of the Collective Security Treaty was signed by six of them (except for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Uzbekistan).

On May 14, 2002, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) was established, uniting Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. In June 2006, the Decision was made
“On the restoration of membership of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the CSTO,” however, in December 2012, this country’s membership was suspended. Currently, the CSTO includes six states - Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.

On October 7, 2002, the CSTO Charter was adopted in Chisinau. In accordance with it, the main goals The organization is committed to strengthening peace, international and regional security and stability, protecting on a collective basis the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of member states, the priority in achieving which the member states give priority to political means.

In 2017, the CSTO celebrated the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Collective Security Treaty and the 15th anniversary of the creation of the Organization. The anniversary Declaration adopted by the presidents notes that the CSTO is a dynamically developing basis for equal cooperation, ensuring a timely and adequate response to the changing situation in the world, and the established regulatory and legal framework of the Organization makes it possible to bring the cooperation of the CSTO member states to a qualitative level new level, consolidate the commonality of strategic goals and transform the CSTO into one of the effective multifunctional structures that ensure security at the regional level.

The highest body of the CSTO, which considers fundamental issues of the Organization’s activities, is Collective Security Council (CSC) consisting of heads of state. The Chairman of the SKB is the head of the state presiding over the Organization (since November 8, 2018 – Kyrgyzstan). Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Ministers of Defense, Secretaries of the Security Councils of Member States, the Secretary General of the Organization and invited persons can take part in the meetings of the CSC. Sessions of the CSTO CSC are held at least once a year. At the session of the CSTO Special Security Council (November 8, 2018), protocols were signed on amendments to statutory documents, according to which the head of government can be a member of the Council. Protocols are subject to ratification. Have not yet entered into force.

The advisory and executive bodies of the CSTO are Council of Foreign Ministers (CMFA), coordinating the foreign policy activities of the CSTO member states; Council of Ministers of Defense (CMO), ensuring interaction between member states in the field of military policy, military development and military-technical cooperation; Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils (CSSC), in charge of support issues national security. Meetings of these bodies are held at least twice a year.

In the period between sessions of the CSC, coordination of the CSTO activities is entrusted to Permanent Council(in force since March 2004), which consists of permanent and plenipotentiary representatives of the Member States.

The permanent working bodies of the CSTO are Secretariat And Joint Headquarters Organizations (operating since January 2004).

The Military Committee under the Council of Defense was formed, Coordination Council heads of competent authorities for combating illicit drug trafficking of the CSTO member states (CSTO), the Coordination Council of Heads of Competent Authorities of the CSTO Member States on Combating Illegal Migration (KSBNM) and the Coordination Council for Emergency Situations of the CSTO Member States (CSES). Since 2006, a Working Group on Afghanistan has been operating under the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers. In 2016, a Working Group was created under the CSTO Council of Defense to coordinate the joint training of military personnel and scientific work. The CSTO CSTO has a Working Group of Experts on Combating Terrorism and Extremism and a Working Group on Information Policy and Security. In December 2014, a decision was made to create the CSTO Consultation Coordination Center for responding to computer incidents. Since October 2017, the CSTO Crisis Response Center began operating in test mode.

The parliamentary dimension of the CSTO is developing. On November 16, 2006, on the basis of the IPA CIS in St. Petersburg, it was created CSTO Parliamentary Assembly(CSTO PA), which is the organ of inter-parliamentary cooperation of the Organization. On May 20, 2019, the next meeting of the CSTO PA will be held in Bishkek. In the period between plenary sessions, the activities of the CSTO PA are carried out in the format of the Council of the Parliamentary Assembly and Standing Commissions (on defense and security, on political issues and international cooperation, on socio-economic and legal issues), meetings of the Information and Analytical Legal Center of the Assembly and the Expert Advisory Council of the CSTO PA are held.

On November 24, 2016, the Chairman was elected Chairman of the CSTO PA State Duma Federal Assembly Russian Federation V.V. Volodin.

The People's Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, the Wolesi Jirga of the National Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union of Belarus and Russia have observer status with the CSTO PA. Representatives of Cuba and other countries participate in the meetings of the CSTO PA as guests.

The CSTO carries out its activities in cooperation with various international and regional organizations.

Since December 2, 2004, the Organization has observer status in the UN General Assembly. On March 18, 2010, a Joint Declaration on Cooperation between the UN Secretariats and the CSTO was signed in Moscow, which provides for the establishment of interaction between the two organizations, in particular in the field of peacekeeping. In its development, on September 28, 2012, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in New York between the CSTO Secretariat and the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations. During the 71st session of the UN General Assembly in November 2016, a resolution was adopted on cooperation between the UN and the CSTO, in which the CSTO is considered as an organization capable of giving an adequate response to wide range challenges and threats in the area of ​​their responsibility. The next similar resolution is planned to be adopted during the current
73rd session of the UN General Assembly. Productive contacts are maintained with other UN agencies, including the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.

In October 2007, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the CSTO Secretariat and the SCO Secretariat. In December 2009 - Memorandum of cooperation between the CSTO Secretariat and the CIS Executive Committee. On May 28, 2018, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed on issues of cooperation and interaction between the CSTO Secretariat, the SCO RATS and the CIS ATC. In April 2019, a meeting of the secretaries general of the CIS, SCO and CSTO took place.

Contacts are maintained with the OSCE, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the International Organization for Migration and others international structures. The CSTO stands for the development of dialogue with ASEAN and the African Union.

As the Organization develops, its legal framework is strengthened, which, in addition to its statutory documents, includes about 50 different agreements and protocols. Of fundamental importance are the set of decisions of the CSTO CSTO on the creation of collective forces, foreign policy coordination, the Collective Security Strategy, the Anti-Drug Strategy, the Roadmap for creating conditions for the use of the CSTO peacekeeping potential in the interests of global UN peacekeeping activities, etc.

Military cooperation in the CSTO format is carried out in accordance with the Decision of the CSTO CSTO “On the Main Directions for the Development of Military Cooperation of the CSTO Member States for the Period until 2020” adopted in 2012.

The components of the power potential of the CSTO collective security system have been formed.

In 2001, the Collective Rapid Deployment Forces (CRDF) were created to ensure the security of the CSTO member states in the Central Asian region. The Collective Rapid Reaction Forces (CRRF) of the CSTO, formed in 2009, including military contingents and force formations, became a multifunctional component of the CSTO collective security system special purpose. The Peacekeeping Forces (PF) of the Organization were created, the corresponding Agreement on which came into force in 2009. In order to increase the efficiency of the actions of collective forces, in accordance with the decision of the CSTO CSTO, adopted in 2014, the formation of the Collective Aviation Forces (CAF) of the CSTO was completed.

The composition of the forces and means of the collective security system has been determined and normatively established, and their joint operational and combat training is carried out on a regular basis.

From October 1 to November 2, 2018, operational-strategic exercises with CSTO contingents took place on the territory of Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The Brotherhood of War- 2018", which included the tactical and special exercise "Search-2018" with reconnaissance forces and means (October 1-5, Kazakhstan), "Air Bridge - 2018" with the Collective Aviation Forces (October 1-14, Russia), "Interaction - 2018" with the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces (October 10-13, Kyrgyzstan), "Indestructible Brotherhood - 2018" with the CSTO Peacekeeping Forces (October 30 - November 2, Russia).

On May 18 - 23, 2018, in the Almaty region of the Republic of Kazakhstan, exercises of special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs from the special forces formation “Cobalt-2018” were held.

In the field of military-technical cooperation, mechanisms for supplying weapons and special equipment to allies, providing military-technical assistance to CSTO member states are being improved, and joint training of military personnel has been organized. The concept of training military personnel was approved. Since 2006, the Interstate Commission on Military-Economic Cooperation of the CSTO has been operating. On November 8, 2018, the session of the CSTO Special Security Council adopted a decision to appoint Yu.I. Borisov, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, to this post.

On November 20, 2012, the Protocol on the deployment of military infrastructure facilities on the territories of the CSTO member states, signed at the session of the CSTO Special Security Council (December 2011), entered into force, in accordance with which decisions
on the placement of military infrastructure facilities of “third” countries on the territory of the CSTO member states can only be accepted in the absence of official objections from all member states of the Organization.

Within the framework of the KSOPN (established in 2005), there are three Working Groups: for the coordination of operational investigative activities, for the exchange of information resources and for personnel training. Chairman of the Coordination Council - State Secretary-Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia I.N. Zubov.

The fundamental document in the field of anti-drug activities of the CSTO is the “Anti-drug strategy of the CSTO member states” approved at the December (2014) session of the CSTO Council in Moscow
for 2015-2020.” Since 2003, the international comprehensive anti-drug operation “Channel” has been carried out on the territory of the CSTO member states (since 2008 it has been transformed into a permanent one). Total from 2003 to 2019 30 stages of Operation Canal were carried out. As a result of the last stage of the “Canal Center” (February 26 - March 1 of this year), 11.5 tons of drugs were seized from illicit trafficking, 784 drug crimes were identified, and about 4 thousand criminal cases were initiated.

Law enforcement, border, customs authorities, security services, and financial intelligence units of the CSTO member states took part in the operation. Observers were representatives of law enforcement agencies of Afghanistan, Great Britain, Iran, Italy, China, Mongolia, USA, Turkey, France and employees of UNODC, Interpol, OSCE, Drug Prevention Program in Central Asia, Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism, Committee of Heads of Law Enforcement Divisions of CIS Customs Services, RATS SCO, Bureau for Coordination of Combating Organized Crime and Others dangerous species crimes on the territory of the CIS member states, the Criminal Intelligence Center for Combating Drugs of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Persian Gulf.

In the field of combating illegal migration of citizens of third (in relation to the CSTO) countries, under the auspices of the Organization, there functions the Coordination Council of Heads of Competent Bodies of the CSTO Member States on Combating Illegal Migration (CSTOM), as well as a Working Group, the members of which are the heads of structural divisions of internal affairs bodies affairs, security services, migration and border services. Since 2008, operational and preventive measures “Illegal” have been carried out, the purpose of which is to identify and suppress violations of migration legislation. Since 2018, “Illegal” has been given the status of a permanent operation. Hundreds of thousands of crimes in this area have been stopped, over 1,600 people who were on the international wanted list have been detained. As part of Operation Illegal 2018, over 73 thousand violations of migration legislation by persons from third countries were identified, dubious financial transactions were identified, channels of human trafficking were opened, and about 1,550 criminal cases were initiated.

On a regular basis, special activities are carried out aimed at identifying and suppressing channels for the recruitment of citizens into the ranks of terrorist organizations, and effective work to prevent the penetration of militants from armed conflict zones into the CAR. In April-May 2019, for the first time, a set of operational and preventive measures was carried out to block recruitment channels, entry and exit of citizens of the CSTO member states to participate in terrorist activities, as well as neutralizing the resource base of international terrorist organizations in the CSTO space under the name “Mercenary”.

In order to combat crimes in the information environment, Operation PROXY has been carried out (since 2014 - on an ongoing basis). In 2018, as a result of the operation, 345,207 information resources were identified that were aimed at inciting national and religious hatred, disseminating terrorist and extremist ideas in the interests of criminal groups, etc. The activities of 54,251 resources were suspended and 720 criminal cases were initiated. As a result of countering the use of the Internet for illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic and psychoactive substances, 1,832 illegal information resource, of which 1,748 were blocked, 560 facts of criminal activity were revealed. 594 criminal cases were initiated. Based on the revealed facts indicating criminal activities related to illegal migration and human trafficking in the CSTO member states, 120 criminal cases have been initiated.

Foreign policy coordination is built on the basis of annual plans for consultations between representatives of the CSTO member states on issues of foreign policy, security and defense, as well as lists of topics for joint statements. Working meetings at the level of foreign ministers of the CSTO member states on the “sidelines” of the session have become regular General Assembly UN and OSCE Ministerial Council.

In September 2011, “Collective instructions to permanent representatives of the CSTO member states to international organizations” were adopted (updated in July 2016). Coordination meetings are held between ambassadors of member states in third countries. In 2018, it was decided to appoint persons responsible for interaction on cooperation issues within the CSTO in foreign institutions.

Since 2011, about 80 joint statements of the CSTO member states have been adopted at various international platforms.

On September 26, 2018, a traditional working meeting of the foreign ministers of the CSTO member states was held in New York on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly. An exchange of views took place on priority issues on the UN agenda, interaction between the CSTO and the UN, the fight against terrorism and ensuring regional security, and the progress of preparations for the upcoming meeting of the CSTO Collective Security Council (CSC) was discussed. Joint statements were adopted “On the situation in Afghanistan, the strengthening of the positions of ISIS in the northern provinces of the country and the growth of the drug threat from the territory of the IRA”, “On efforts to stabilize the situation in the Middle East and North Africa", "On intensifying cooperation of the CSTO with regional organizations and structures."

The next meeting of the CSTO CSC took place on November 8, 2018 in Astana. The final declaration of the CSTO summit was adopted, as well as a statement by the heads of CSTO member states on coordinated measures against participants in armed conflicts on the side of international terrorist organizations. The Council approved a package of documents on the legal registration of observer and partner status of the CSTO and a number of other documents in the field of military cooperation, crisis response, countering international terrorism, and illegal migration.

The countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization regularly conduct joint exercises. What conflicts in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and even remote parts of the world is the CSTO preparing for?

Within the CSTO, according to the decisions of the Collective Security Council, four main elements are distinguished:

• Collective Rapid Reaction Forces (CRRF), incl. formation of special forces (FSSN KSOR), created in 2009, numbering over 17,000 people;
• Collective Rapid Deployment Forces of the Central Asian Collective Security Region (CRRF CAR), created in 2001, numbering about 5,000 people;
• Peacekeeping Forces (PF), numbering about 3,600 people;
• Collective Aviation Forces (CAF), which includes transport and special aviation.

In addition, work is underway to create a Unified Air Defense and Missile Defense System based on regional associations(, Armenia and Russia, Kazakhstan and Russia), however, as of the beginning of 2017, this process has not been completed.

One of the most important components of the collective security system is the regional Russian-Belarusian and joint grouping of troops.

The “basic” exercises of CSTO forces and assets traditionally include “Interaction” (CRRF) and “Indestructible Brotherhood” (MS), as well as “Frontier” (CRRF CAR). In addition, training events of a more narrow specialization are conducted.

What is the CSTO preparing for?

As part of the exercises of the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces, the tasks of localizing a conditional armed conflict caused by border incidents, the activities of sabotage groups, international terrorist organizations on the territory of a conditional CSTO member state, protecting its sovereignty and restoring territorial integrity are being worked out.

Based on the information presented on the CSTO website, it is estimated that in the “Interaction” exercises in the period 2013-2016. On average, just over 1,700 military personnel took part per year (i.e., approximately 1/10 of the CRRF personnel), with the largest number of participants being in August 2014: about 3,000 people.

An important element of “Interaction” is the joint combat work soldiers of the CRRF, regional groups and national units under a single command - so, in September 2013, the joint “use” of the CRRF and the Regional Group of Troops (Forces) of Belarus and Russia was carried out, and in August 2016, 1,300 “CRRF members” joined the localization a conditional border conflict on the territory of one of the states of the Organization by the forces of 6,000 soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation under the general leadership of the commander of the Western Military District of Russia, Colonel General Andrei Kartapolov.

CSTO CRRF exercises “Interaction - 2016”.

Within the framework of " Interactions-2016 “attention was also paid to active “psychological operations”: addressed to “soldiers of the Western Alliance” through loudspeakers in Russian, German, English and Polish languages calls to lay down arms and surrender were crushed.

According to legend, under the guise of a peacekeeping operation not sanctioned by the UN, an invasion took place on the territory of one of the CSTO countries with the aim of seizing border areas.

It should be noted that Colonel General A. Kartapolov has been heading the group since December 19, 2016 Russian troops in the Syrian Arab Republic.

Peacekeeping operations

The size of the group of soldiers trained to conduct peacekeeping operations under the CSTO flags varies significantly from year to year. If in 2013 about 4,000 soldiers carried out a conditional peacekeeping operation on the territory of the Russian Federation, then in 2014 (Kyrgyzstan) and 2015 (Armenia) their number did not reach one thousand. This symbolic threshold was overcome only in 2016 during exercises on the territory of Belarus.

Exercises of the CSTO Peacekeeping Forces “Indestructible Brotherhood - 2016”.

An important feature of the “Indestructible Brotherhood” series of exercises is the development of the procedure for making a decision on conducting a peacekeeping operation within the framework of the CSTO Collective Security Council. Moreover, in 2016, the scenario also provided for the preparation, adoption and implementation of the corresponding UN Security Council resolution. In addition, during the exercises, special attention was paid to the mass arrival of refugees from the conflict zone.

It should be noted that in September 2012, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the CSTO Secretariat and the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations. During the meeting on the sidelines of the 71st Session of the General Assembly between the now former CSTO Secretary General N. Bordyuzha and the Director of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations E. Ladsous, the UN formulated a very specific task: recruiting one peacekeeping battalion ready to begin peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the UN within 60 days of receipt of the application.

Threats in Central Asia

Particular attention within the CSTO is paid to Central Asia, first of all, the border with Afghanistan. The key event of combat training is the exercises of the CRRF CAR “Rubezh”, the legend of which is reminiscent of “Interaction” in terms of solving problems to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the CSTO member state, but with a pronounced anti-terrorist character.

This group also includes the FSSN KSOR “Cobalt” and “Thunder” exercises, in which several hundred soldiers from special forces of various departments solve the problems of destroying terrorist groups and illegal armed groups, blocking drug supply channels and suppressing the activities of other criminal groups.

In addition, in the spring of 2015, a sudden check of the combat readiness of the CRRF was carried out on the territory of Tajikistan, during which 2,500 military personnel practiced tasks to repel an attack by a mock enemy from the territory of Afghanistan.

In April 2016, again on the territory of Tajikistan, “Search” was held for the first time - an exercise of intelligence units of the armed forces of the CSTO member states. As part of the localization of a simulated military conflict, 1,500 military intelligence officers collected, processed and analyzed intelligence information, carried out a special operation to seize and destroy critical objects, ensured the exchange of intelligence information and carried out fire destruction of exposed objects.

Readiness number one?

Combat training within the CSTO is becoming more diverse and complex over time. Achieved high level operational compatibility of national and collective units, both on the battlefield, at headquarters, and in the rear.

Collective forces are preparing to conduct anti-terrorist operations, protect the sovereignty of the CSTO member states, as well as peacekeeping activities beyond their borders.

IN short term It seems most likely that the CSTO will be involved in activities to combat terrorism and drug trafficking. In addition, the development of a Roadmap for the use of the CSTO in UN peacekeeping activities for the period 2017-2020 is currently underway.”

The approval of this document, as well as the start of full-fledged work by the new CSTO leadership and the relevant UN Department, will make the sending of a CSTO peacekeeping contingent to one of the hot spots of our planet only a matter of time. As for the protection of sovereignty from the “Western Alliance”, we wish this scenario to remain only a training task.

Dmitry Stefanovich, independent military expert

Publishes the full version of the document.

Brief historical background

The Collective Security Treaty (CST) was signed on May 15, 1992, six months after the collapse of the USSR. Its main task was to maintain interaction between the armies of the newly formed independent states in the post-Soviet space.

The founding states were Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In 1993, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Georgia joined the treaty.

In 1999, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Uzbekistan refused to renew their membership in the CST and focused on work in GUAM ( GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova) is an anti-Russian organization created in 1997 to establish horizontal ties between post-Soviet republics in the interests of the United States and the European Union. During the periods of Uzbekistan's membership, the organization was called GUUAM. Currently, GUAM is not an active and actually working structure, despite the fact that no formal decision has been made to dissolve it, and the GUAM Secretariat located in Kyiv regularly issues press releases in Russian about its work).

In 2002, a decision was made to transform the CST into a full-fledged international organization.

On October 7, 2002, the Charter and Agreement on the legal status of the CSTO were adopted in Chisinau. The documents establishing the CSTO were ratified by all participating countries and entered into force on September 18, 2003.

On November 16, 2006, the heads of parliaments of the CSTO member countries adopted a resolution on the creation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO PA).

In 2009, the Collective Rapid Reaction Force (CRRF) was created. Their task is to repel military aggression, carry out special operations to combat international terrorism, transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, as well as eliminate the consequences of emergency situations. CRRF exercises are held on a regular basis.

On December 21, 2015, the heads of the CSTO member states adopted a Statement on Countering International Terrorism, in which they declared their intention to “consistently strengthen the power potential of the CSTO, increase its counter-terrorism component, and increase the combat readiness of the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces in order to effectively counter new challenges and threats.”

On October 14, 2016, the CSTO Collective Security Council (CSC) in Yerevan adopted a decision to approve the Collective Security Strategy until 2025, as well as additional measures to combat terrorism and create a Crisis Response Center.

The CSTO Secretary General since 2003 is Nikolay Bordyuzha.

Chairman of the Parliamentary CSTO Assembly November 24, 2016 elected Vyacheslav Volodin.

CSTO: Birth traumas and irremovable contradictions

The largest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century - the collapse Soviet Union- had a particularly serious impact on the ability of states that suddenly and often not of their own free will to maintain an adequate level of security - both external and internal.

If the European post-Soviet republics (with the exception of Moldova, which failed to curb its own nationalists and as a result lost Transnistria) faced a maximum increase in crime in the early 90s, the Central Asian countries found themselves alone with the threat of international terrorism and religious extremism.

The most serious situation was in Tajikistan, with its long border with Afghanistan. Civil War in this country threatened with extremely serious consequences not only for Tajikistan itself, but also for neighboring countries. That is why Russia, which took upon itself the protection of the Tajik-Afghan border, and Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, actively participated in national reconciliation in the republic.

“Leading figures of Tajikistan have repeatedly noted the important military-political role of the CST in the process of achieving national reconciliation. And now, within the framework of the CSTO, this country is receiving significant political, military and military-technical assistance,” says the version of the CSTO website that worked until 2012 in the “General Information” section.

The CSTO was initially focused primarily on solving the problems of maintaining security in Central Asia. A few more quotes from old version organization website:

“At the initial stage, the Treaty contributed to the creation of national armed forces of the participating states, ensuring adequate external conditions for their independent state building. This is evidenced by the relevance of the Treaty in a number of cases of application of its provisions.

The capabilities of the Treaty were used in the fall of 1996 and the summer of 1998 in connection with the dangerous developments in Afghanistan in close proximity to the borders of the Central Asian states parties to the CST, in order to prevent attempts by extremists to destabilize the situation in this region.

In 1999 and 2000, as a result of promptly implemented measures by the states parties to the CST, with the participation of Uzbekistan, the threat created by large-scale actions of armed groups of international terrorists in the south of Kyrgyzstan and in other areas of Central Asia was neutralized."

Regulatory legal acts, on the basis of which the structures of the CST worked, these are the “Declaration of the States Parties to the CST”, adopted in 1995, “The Concept of Collective Security of the States Parties to the CST”, a document on the “Main Directions for Deepening Military Cooperation”, a plan for the implementation of the Concept of Collective Security and the Main Directions for Deepening military cooperation.

In 1999, the Plan for the second stage of the formation of a collective security system was approved, which provided for the formation of coalition (regional) groupings of troops (forces) in the Eastern European, Caucasian and Central Asian directions.

In the 90s, the CST had no chance of becoming a full-fledged and effective international organization due to large quantity claims of its participants to each other.

Armenia and Azerbaijan, both then and now, were essentially at war with each other. Georgia, both then and now, accused Russia of “separatism” in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, although it should be noted that Moscow in the 90s pursued a much harsher policy towards unrecognized states than in the 2000s. Abkhazia was actually under an economic blockade, South Ossetia and Transnistria were left to their own devices.

Uzbekistan tried to pursue what was called a “balanced” policy in Tashkent, but as a result it simply rushed between Moscow and Washington, either entering the CST, then moving from there to GUAM, then agreeing to the creation of an American military base, then demanding that the United States immediately leave its territory.

Of course, NATO also has examples of how members of the alliance are countries that “dislike” each other, such as Greece and Turkey, but there has not been such tension, much less direct clashes between them, as in the case of some former members of the CST, for a long time .

But perhaps main problem The CST, which was inherited by the CSTO, was the initial refusal of serious attempts to integrate the largest post-Soviet republic after Russia militarily - Ukraine.

Of course, Kyiv and Moscow in the 90s were subject to serious pressure from the West; the “neutrality” of Ukraine was one of the conditions for the withdrawal of nuclear weapons from its territory. But the absence of Ukraine in the defensive alliance created by Russia, of course, laid the preconditions for the drift of this country towards NATO and a growing anti-Russian orientation Ukrainian politics, which reached its apogee during the so-called “Euromaidan”.

The CST in the form in which it existed in the 90s could not quickly respond to the challenges of the time; its reform or dissolution was inevitable.

Work to prepare for the reformatting of the organization began in 2000. An agreement was signed on the basic principles of Military-Technical Cooperation (MTC). In 2001, the Collective Rapid Deployment Forces of the Central Asian Region were created, which were staffed by four battalions from Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan with a total strength of 1,500 people.

At the same time, the bodies of political management and interstate consultations were improved. The Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense and the Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils were created. The CSC Secretariat was organized, a consultation process was established at the level of the CSC, the Council of Foreign Ministers and the Council of Defense with the participation of deputy ministers of foreign affairs and defense, experts of the participating states, and their Plenipotentiary Representatives to the Secretary General of the Collective Security Council.

The decision to transform the Collective Security Treaty into an international regional organization in accordance with Chapter VIII of the UN Charter was made in Moscow in May 2002 by the heads of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.

Neutral Chisinau was chosen as the location for the creation of the CSTO. On October 7, 2002, a summit of the heads of state of the CIS was held in the capital of Moldova, during which the heads of the CST member countries signed statutory documents on the transformation of the latter into the CSTO.

Moldova, we note, just like Ukraine, from the very beginning of its independence, refrained from participating in military cooperation with Russia - due to dissatisfaction with the presence of Russian troops in Transnistria. The communist who headed this republic in 2002 Vladimir Voronin was considered a “pro-Russian” president until November of the following year, when at the last moment he refused to sign the already initialed document on the Transnistrian settlement, the so-called “Kozak Memorandum.” After this, there was no longer any talk about Moldova’s possible membership in the CSTO.

CSTO in 2002-2016: through contradictions to strengthen the union

In 2002-2003, when the CSTO was created, most countries considered international terrorism to be the main global threat, as now. The United States was conducting operations in Afghanistan and preparing to invade Iraq. Russian-American relations have experienced a period of relative growth after a sharp deterioration in 1999, when the United States and NATO bombed Yugoslavia without UN authorization.

Initially, no serious political component was planned within the CSTO, only ensuring the security of the participating countries. Political dialogue in Central Asia was conducted either on the basis of the CIS or within the framework of Shanghai organization cooperation (SCO), created in 2001 on the basis of the Shanghai Five, formed as a result of the signing in 1996-1997. agreements between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Russia and Tajikistan on confidence-building in the military field. Uzbekistan also joined the SCO. The goals and objectives of the SCO were strengthening stability and security in a wide area uniting member states, combating terrorism, separatism, extremism, drug trafficking, developing economic cooperation, energy partnership, scientific and cultural interaction.

It should also be emphasized that the CSTO was not considered as an alternative to NATO. The objectives of the organization were security in Central Asia, as well as military-technical cooperation of the participating countries. The unrestrained, cancer-like expansion of NATO has never been an example to follow for the CSTO members.

However, over time it became clear that cooperation within the framework of executive power not enough - to ensure the proper level of interaction, harmonization of legislation was required.

On June 23, 2006, the Minsk session of the CSTO Collective Security Council determined the need to develop the parliamentary dimension of the CSTO within the framework of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly. Based on this decision and on the Convention on the Interparliamentary Assembly of States Parties of the Commonwealth Independent States, the chairmen of the parliaments of the CIS member states of the CSTO at a meeting on November 16, 2006 adopted a resolution on the creation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO PA).

As stated on the CSTO PA website, “three permanent commissions have been created within the assembly - on defense and security issues, on political issues and international cooperation, and on socio-economic and legal issues.

In accordance with the Regulations on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the CSTO PA discusses issues of cooperation between the CSTO member states in the international, military-political, legal and other fields and develops appropriate recommendations, which it sends to the Collective Security Council (CSC) and other CSTO bodies and national parliaments. In addition, the CSTO PA adopts model legislative and other legal acts aimed at regulating relations within the sphere of competence of the CSTO, as well as recommendations for bringing the laws of the CSTO member states closer together and bringing them into line with the provisions of international treaties concluded by these states within the framework of the CSTO."

The full-fledged work of various CSTO structures, unfortunately, has repeatedly been made dependent on the current political or economic situation. For example, negotiations on the creation of the Collective Rapid Reaction Force (CRRF), the main fighting force of the CSTO, in June 2009 were overshadowed by the so-called “milk war” between Russia and Belarus. As a result, representatives of Minsk refused to participate in the CSTO meeting under the pretext that military security is impossible without economic security.

This cast doubt on the legitimacy of the decision to create the CRRF, because according to paragraph 1 of Rule No. 14 of the Rules of Procedure of the CSTO bodies, approved by the CSTO Decision of June 18, 2004, the non-participation of a member country of the organization in meetings of the Collective Security Council, the Council of Foreign Ministers, the Council of Defense Ministers , the Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils means the lack of consent of a member country of the organization to make decisions considered by these bodies.

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko signed a package of documents on Belarus’ accession to the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces only on October 20, 2009.

In June 2010, the President of Kyrgyzstan Roza Otumbaeva appealed to the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev with a request to introduce the CRRF into the territory of this country in connection with the unrest and interethnic clashes in the Osh and Jalalab regions. Medvedev responded that “the criterion for the use of CSTO forces is the violation by one state of the borders of another state that is part of this organization. There is no talk about this yet, because all of Kyrgyzstan’s problems are rooted internally. They are rooted in the weakness of the previous government, in their reluctance to deal with the needs of the people. I hope that all the problems that exist today will be resolved by the authorities of Kyrgyzstan. The Russian Federation will help."

This statement became the subject of criticism from the President of Belarus. Alexander Lukashenko said that the CRRF must enter Kyrgyzstan and restore order there. As a result, a compromise decision was made - a reinforced battalion of the 31st was delivered to the Russian Kant airbase in Kyrgyzstan. air assault brigade Airborne Forces to ensure safety. Representatives of the CSTO, in turn, took part in the search for the organizers of the riots and ensured coordination of cooperation to suppress the activities of terrorist groups that actually influenced the situation from Afghanistan. Also, CSTO specialists were engaged in identifying instigators and instigators of hatred on the Internet. Non-lethal special equipment, special equipment, and vehicles, including helicopters, were sent to Kyrgyzstan.

Following the events in Kyrgyzstan, CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha issued a special statement, which, in particular, said that all CSTO member countries agreed that the introduction of peacekeeping troops into the republic during mass unrest was inappropriate: “The introduction of troops could would provoke an even greater aggravation of the situation in the region as a whole,” he noted.

In 2011, the same Alexander Lukashenko took the initiative to use the CRRF to prevent coups d'etat. “Because no one will go against us through war, at the front, but to carry out a constitutional revolution, many people’s hands are itching,” he noted then.

In 2012 year of the CSTO left Uzbekistan for the second time - among the reasons given were both disagreement with the organization’s policy towards Afghanistan and bilateral contradictions with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. This was not a serious blow to the CSTO - Uzbekistan’s participation during its “second coming” was largely formal.

However, as the terrorist threat in the Middle East and Central Asia intensified and NATO forces approached the borders of Russia and Belarus, it became clear that there was no alternative to the CSTO in the current situation. Ensuring internal and external security, as well as military-technical cooperation between our countries, is possible only with constant and effective interaction between all structures responsible for security, including parliamentary interaction.

By 2016, the CSTO approached as a fairly united and cohesive organization. Exercises of both the CRRF and other structures are regularly held, concepts and strategies are being developed, and interaction has been established with the UN, SCO, CIS, EAEU and other international organizations.

On this occasion, CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha has repeatedly noted that coverage of the CSTO’s activities in Russia is not at the proper level.

“I would like to refer to our latest experience - this is holding a motorcycle rally in the CSTO member states, with the exception of Armenia, since we were purely technical problems. Representatives of some bike clubs, together with representatives of the Minsk motorcycle plant, traveled through all the states of the bloc, met with the population everywhere, laid wreaths at the graves of military personnel who died in the Great Patriotic War. Patriotic War. According to their estimates, in all states, including small ones populated areas they know quite well about the CSTO, with the exception of the Russian Federation,” he noted at a press conference in 2013.

CSTO PA: great quality potential

Activation of inter-parliamentary cooperation within the framework of the CSTO PA with member countries of the organization, observers and all organizations interested in cooperation becomes important element international security in the Eurasian space and throughout the world.

Some optimism about the development of the situation around the CSTO is inspired by the unanimous election of the Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Vyacheslav Volodin, to a similar post in the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly.

This, on the one hand, is a traditional decision - previously the CSTO PA was headed by the speakers of the State Duma of the previous and the year before last convocation Sergey Naryshkin And Boris Gryzlov respectively. But, judging by the changes that took place at the initiative of Vyacheslav Volodin in the State Duma, his chairmanship of the CSTO PA will not be “traditional”.

« It is obvious that the priority direction of the Assembly’s work for the next four years will be the implementation of the program to harmonize the national legislation of the member states of the Treaty - work began this year, the program is designed until 2020. And enough tasks have accumulated; security issues are among the top priorities. Five draft reconciliation documents national laws have already been prepared by the CSTO Standing Committee on Defense and Security. They concern issues of fighting corruption, drug trafficking, countering technological terrorism, training personnel in the area of ​​“Security in Emergency Situations”, responding to crisis situations “, notes one of the Russian federal newspapers.

In his first speech in his new post, Volodin noted that the CSTO currently faces a number of priority tasks, including, in particular, accelerating the formation of a single legal space in the field of defense and security on the territory of the CSTO. Among other important areas of work, he named the parliamentary response to crisis situations not only in the CSTO space, but also beyond its borders.

Afghanistan and Serbia are already observers in the CSTO. Iran and Pakistan should receive this status in 2017. According to the Vice Speaker of the CSTO PA, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Yuri Vorobyov, Moldova showed interest in interacting with the CSTO - after the election of a socialist as president Igor Dodon, who has repeatedly stated the need to restore ties with Russia, relations between Moscow and Chisinau may, if not radically improve, then at least become less ideological and more pragmatic.

Among the tasks facing the CSTO PA and the organization as a whole, one can also note the need to establish such interaction with the structures of the CIS, EAEU, SCO and others, which would eliminate duplication of functions and unnecessary competition between employees of the apparatus of these organizations. All of the above interstate organizations face different tasks, and a “hardware war”, or rather, not even a war, but excessive competition will only lead to a decrease in the effectiveness of interaction in all areas, including security.

The organization itself remains quite closed, too focused on very specific security issues, which do not always become public. Experts note that the new chairman of the CSTO PA will be able to give impetus to the public component of the work, firstly, the Parliamentary Assembly, and secondly, the entire CSTO as a whole.

Here we can say that security issues will require a clear, understandable, and relevant legislative process. An important factor dialogue between civil societies on security issues is emerging. Today there is a kind of debate going on between those who believe that democratic procedures should dominate the system, and between those who believe that security issues today require a departure from some principles. In this case, Volodin’s participation in this discussion will modernize it and raise it to the level of development of the entire civil society. And at the same time it will bring it into line with legislative needs and constitutional status.

The international agenda in the world remains tense, and the election of the US President Donald Trump added unpredictability to the foreign policy of this strongest and most influential country. In such a situation, states interested in maintaining peace and internal tranquility should combine their efforts as much as possible both in the fight against international terrorism and with the desire to masquerade as “democratization” and “the fight for human rights.” Western countries impose their values ​​and weaken as much as possible the traditional way of life in countries of Eastern Europe, Transcaucasia and Central Asia.

Cooperation within the CSTO is a shining example how the most militarily powerful member of the organization, Russia, does not seek to impose its own values ​​on other participants and does not interfere in domestic policy their partners.

CSTO

Development prospects

To strengthen the position of the CSTO, the collective forces for rapid deployment of the Central Asian region are being reformed. These forces consist of ten battalions: three from Russia and Kazakhstan and one from Kyrgyzstan. The total number of personnel of the collective forces is about 7 thousand people. The aviation component (10 planes and 14 helicopters) is located at the Russian military air base in Kyrgyzstan.

In connection with Uzbekistan’s accession to the CSTO, it is noted that back in 2005, the Uzbek authorities came up with a project to create international “anti-revolutionary” punitive forces in the post-Soviet space within the CSTO. In preparation for joining this organization, Uzbekistan has prepared a package of proposals for its improvement, including the creation within its framework of intelligence and counterintelligence structures, as well as the development of mechanisms that would allow the CSTO to provide internal security guarantees to the Central Asian states.

Goals and objectives

CSTO members

CSTO structure

The supreme body of the Organization is Collective Security Council (SKB). The Council is composed of heads of member states. The Council considers fundamental issues of the Organization’s activities and makes decisions aimed at achieving its goals and objectives, and also ensures coordination and joint activities member states to achieve these goals.

Council of Foreign Ministers (Council of Foreign Ministers) - an advisory and executive body of the Organization on issues of coordinating the interaction of member states in the field of foreign policy.

Council of Defense Ministers (SMO) - an advisory and executive body of the Organization on issues of coordinating the interaction of member states in the field of military policy, military development and military-technical cooperation.

Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils (KSSB) - an advisory and executive body of the Organization on issues of coordinating the interaction of member states in the field of ensuring their national security.

Secretary General of the Organization is the highest administrative official Organization and manages the Secretariat of the Organization. Appointed by decision of the SSC from among the citizens of the member states and is accountable to the Council. Currently, he is Nikolai Bordyuzha.

Secretariat of the Organization- a permanent working body of the Organization for the implementation of organizational, informational, analytical and advisory support for the activities of the Organization’s bodies.

CSTO Joint Headquarters- a permanent working body of the Organization and the Council of Defense of the CSTO, responsible for preparing proposals and implementing decisions on the military component of the CSTO. From December 1, 2006, it is planned to assign to the joint headquarters the tasks performed by the command and the permanent operational group of the collective forces headquarters.

CSTO summit in September 2008

see also

• Armed Forces of Belarus

Literature

• Nikolaenko V. D. Organization of the Collective Security Treaty (origins, formation, prospects) 2004 ISBN 5-94935-031-6

Links

• Official Internet representation of the DKB Organization

Notes