Foreign Minister V.Makei participates in the Joint Meeting of the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers, the Council of Defense Ministers and the Committee of Secretaries

On September 15, 2021 in Dushanbe (Republic of Tajikistan), the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Vladimir Makei, participated in the Joint Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, the Council of Ministers of Defense and the Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. 

The participants exchanged views on the political and military situation in the CSTO collective security regions. The parties discussed, among others, the situation in Afghanistan in the context of challenges and threats the CSTO Member States shall face after the hasty departure of the Western coalition troops and the change of authority in this state. 

The Minister of Foreign Affairs V.Makei informed the participants of the meeting on the development of the situation in the European region, outlined Belarus’ approaches to the vital problems of regional and international security. Foreign Minister emphasized the aggravation of the systemic crisis of international relations, the deepening of political instability and the growth of contradictions, as well as military and political confrontation between the main centers of power. V.Makei also expressed concern over the continuing degradation of international arms control instruments, confidence and security-building measures. 

The Armenian side presented the priority directions of the CSTO activities for the period of its Chairmanship of the Organization for 2021-2022. 

The meeting adopted statements by the Foreign Ministers of the CSTO Member States on the Situation in Afghanistan, om Collective Efforts to Resolve Crisis Situations in the Middle East and North Africa, on Reaffirming Adherence to the Principles of the UN Charter and Strengthening Cooperation to Ensure their Strict Observance, on the Coordination of Joint Efforts in the Field of Information Security, Including Countering the Use of Information and Communication Technologies for Terrorist and other Criminal Purposes, as well as on the 30th Anniversary of the Commonwealth of Independent States and 20th Anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. 

The participants of the Joint Meeting also approved a number of documents on the topical issues of the functioning and development of the CSTO, which were submitted to the session of the CSTO Collective Security Council.

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