DUSHANBE, November 20, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Consultations on coordinating positions of member nations of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on small arms and light weapons (SALW) and man portable air defense systems (MANPADS) are being held in Moscow today.

According to the CSTO Secretariat, the meeting participants are exchanging information about the SALW and MANPADS issues and coordinating the CSTO states’ positions on this problem during discussion of these issues at different international forums.

The meeting participants include experts from MFAs and interested ministries and agencies of the CSTO member nations.

These consultations are very timely because resolving the problem of illicit proliferation of SALW and MANPADS is of great significance for strengthening of confidence building and security measures, the CSTO Secretariat noted.