Armenia assumes CSTO chairmanship

Speaking at a meeting of heads of states at a Moscow-dominated security alliance of ex-Soviet nations in Tajikistan, Putin urged other nations to follow Russia’s example and offer military support to Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government.

A summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) kicked off in Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe on Tuesday.

During the session, the parties adopted a resolution on the CSTO Collective Air Forces – the vital constituent of the CSTO military component. “A growing level of extremism, the influence of global terrorist groups arouse concern”.

Of the three Central Asian states that share borders with Afghanistan, only Tajikistan is a member of the CSTO. To adequately respond to the risks and challenges coming from the Afghan territory, it is necessary to step up our joint efforts in the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, both bilaterally and in the framework of other worldwide organizations.

“This work should be continued on the system basis with a clear focus on mid-run period”, the president said. Tajikistan is the only member of the CSTO that borders on Afghanistan.

Tajikistan’s authorities said on Sunday that the renegade general who had attacked government security forces is still alive, contradicting reports from two days earlier that he had been killed.

The statement also commended the recent agreements on the Iranian nuclear programme and the settlement of the problem of destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons.

After the CSTO session Alexander Lukashenko will pay a working visit to the Russian Federation where he will take part in the events of the 2nd Belarus-Russia Forum of Regions which will be held in Sochi on 17-18 September.