Lukashenko: Presidents agreed to optimize CSTO

DUSHANBE (BelTA) – The CSTO presidents agreed to optimize the Collective Security Treaty Organization at the narrow-format meeting, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said at the plenary meeting of the CSTO Collective Security Council on 15 September, BelTA has learned.

“We have agreed to revise our statutory documents and optimize the organization in the near future. It is to be done because of the aggravating situation near the borders of the Collective Security Treaty Organization member states. It means that this organization comes to the forefront in the post-Soviet space,” the Belarusian President said.

According to Alexander Lukashenko, all member states have to deal with common risks and threats. “A growing level of extremism, the influence of international terrorist groups arouse concern. Today we face the escalation of tension in the zones of continuing conflicts, open warfare and the emergence of new hotbeds of instability, including in the vicinity of our borders. As a result, people are dying, states are deteriorating, people grow poor, the unprecedented flows of refugees and illegal migrants are flooding other countries,” the Belarusian leader said.

Alexander Lukashenko remarked that the participants of the narrow-format meeting focused on the most important aspects of the CSTO development and revised future plans.