An extraordinary online meeting of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) took place on January 10.   

Media reports say the video conference, presided over by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, discussed the situation in Kazakhstan and measures to stabilize it.

Recall, the CSTO has deployed peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan to help normalize the situation following days of violent protests.

The Collective Security Council of the CSTO is the highest body of the CSTO, which consists of six member states - Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.  

Tsargrad TV, a Russian television channel owned by Konstantin Malofeyev, reports that speaking at the summit, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has proposed to provide military support to Tajikistan in order to avoid a repeat of the Kazakhstan scenario.

“The President of Tajikistan asks for support with military equipment and we need to do this.  I would not like the situation to repeat also in Tajikistan.  The President of Tajikistan has been asking us for years to provide support with military equipment,” Lukashenko was cited as saying.

According to him, it was Emomali Rahmon who warned about sleeper terrorist cells in Kazakhstan.  

“There is no need to be embarrassed with the West, America.   If we look around, we will break our neck.  When they have problems, they do not think about democracy.  We should take this into account too.   The situation is being monitored in the West.  They paused for two days, then statements about democracy, freedom and so on fell down.  The CSTO disrupted their plans,” Lukashenko was quoted as saying.   

BelTA cited Lukashenko as saying that the events have shown that a lot of international terrorists have gathered on the borders of Kazakhstan.

“In order to overcome these negative trends in our post-Soviet states, in this case in Kazakhstan, it is impossible to solve this problem only within the framework of Kazakhstan.  I am absolutely convinced that the closest nations – of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan - must try to solve the difficult problems that have been inherited and which we have created in the post-Soviet period together,” Belarusian leader was cited as saying. 

According to Alexander Lukashenko, Uzbekistan should also learn from the past events.  “According to our information, their eyes are on Uzbekistan as well,” he added.

In accordance with Article 13 of the CSTO Charter, the Collective Security Council is the highest body of the Organization. The Council considers the fundamental issues of the Organization’s activities and makes decisions aimed at the realization of its goals and objectives, as well as ensures the coordination and joint activities of the Member States to achieve these goals.  The Council includes heads of member states. Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Ministers of Defense, Secretaries of Security Councils of Member States, the Secretary General of the Organization, Plenipotentiary Representatives of Member States to the Organization and invited persons can take part in meetings of the Council.  The Council has the right to establish, on a permanent or temporary basis, the working and subsidiary bodies of the Organization.  The Chairman of the Council (hereinafter - the Chairman) is the head of state on whose territory the regular session of the Council is held, unless the Council decides otherwise.  His rights and obligations remain with him until the next regular session of the Council.

Created in 1992, the Collective Security Treaty Organization is a Russia-led military alliance grouping the six former Soviet republics of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.