Declaration on border security, counter-terrorism adopted at conference in Dushanbe

MOSCOW. Oct 18 (Interfax) - The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) welcomes the endorsement of the Dushanbe Declaration on Cooperation in Countering Terrorism, CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas said at a conference in the Tajik capital on Tuesday.

"We welcome the adoption of the Dushanbe Declaration on Cooperation on Border Security and Management to Counter Terrorism and Prevent the Movement of Terrorists following the conference," Zas is quoted as saying in a statement on the CSTO's Telegram channel.

The CSTO actively backs international initiatives to tighten border security to counter terrorism by suppressing the flow of foreign terrorist militants across borders, he said.

"We are pleased with the enhancement of our interaction in this area with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre. And also the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia as part of the Program on Ensuring Border Security and Management and the Towards a Joint Action Plan project under the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia," Zas said.

The CSTO sees the potential for boosting its cooperation with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, the Commonwealth of Independent States Anti-Terrorism Centre and the CIS Council of the Commanders of the Border Troops by enhancing interaction and information exchange in order to jointly thwart the terrorist threats in Central Asia, he said.

Zas delivered a speech at a high-level conference in Dushanbe on international and regional cooperation on border security and counter-terrorism.

The CSTO comprises Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.