CSTO leaders take part in Dushanbe summit

DUSHANBE (BelTA) – The session of the CSTO Collective Security Council began in the capital of Tajikistan, BelTA informs.

The session is attended by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, leaders of Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.

During the narrow-format meeting the heads of state will discuss the readiness of military contingents of the CSTO collective rapid response forces, candidates for the CSTO secretary general and head of the CSTO Joint Staff positions.

The agenda of the plenary meeting includes more than 15 issues. In particular, the participants will discuss current activities of the CSTO, priorities of Armenia's chairmanship in the organization.

They will also discuss the organization of the CSTO collective forces command, the composition and deployment of collective air forces. The heads of state will consider a draft agreement on cooperation of the CSTO member states in the transportation of military and other units, their movable assets and products for military use.

CSTO leaders will discuss a draft protocol on extending the validity of the agreement on the establishment of the joint system of technical protection of railways in the CSTO member states which dates back to 28 April 2003 and on introducing amendments to this agreement. They will also discuss amendments to the provision on the CSTO coordination council for emergencies as of 6 October 2007.

Apart from that, participants of the session of the Collective Security Council will consider the 2016 budget and revise the contributions of the CSTO member states in the financing of CSTO permanent bodies in 2016, redistribution of allocations for the CSTO Combined Staff in 2015.

The heads of state will also discuss a number of organizational issues and sign documents.