CSTO Collective Security Council to discuss assistance to Armenia in Yerevan on Nov 23
MOSCOW. Nov 18 (Interfax) - The Collective Security Council (CSC) of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will meet in Yerevan on November 23 to discuss global and regional security and assistance to Armenia, the CSTO said in a press release.
"CSC members will discuss topical aspects of global and regional security and main results of the CSTO activities conducted between the sessions. An improvement of the CSTO's crisis response system and joint measures to assist Armenia will be high on the agenda," the press release said.
"Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon are expected to attend the event. CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas will also take part in the meeting," it said.
The president of Armenia, which currently chairs the CSTO, will be presiding at the meeting.
As Belarus becomes the CSTO chair country in 2022-2023, Lukashenko "will present the priorities his country plans to implement next year," the press release said.
"The CSC meeting agenda includes the signing of several documents, including those on the provision of peacekeeping forces with advanced weapons and military and special hardware, the joint formation of radiation, chemical and biological protection and medical support in the CSTO, and the status of a regional antiterrorism operation for operative and preventive measures known as Operation Mercenary. The CSTO budget for 2023 will also be discussed," it said.
Given the pending rotation on January 1, 2023, the CSC will discuss the appointment of the CSTO secretary general, the press release said.
The CSC session will be preceded by a joint meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, the Council of Defense Ministers and the Committee of Security Council Secretaries.
"The military-political situation in CSTO collective security regions and the agenda of the upcoming CSC session will be discussed," it said.
The Council of Foreign Ministers, the Council of Defense Ministers and the Committee of Security Council Secretaries "are planning to adopt a series of important political statements" at the meeting, the press release said.
The foreign ministers of CSTO member states will adopt a statement on the strengthening of regional and global security architecture, arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. The security council secretaries will adopt a statement to condemn attempts at glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism, extremism, chauvinism and all forms of xenophobia and a resolution on the composition of the Coordination Council of Representatives of Collective Security Treaty Organization Member States for Biological Security.