KHUJAND, March 14, 2011, Asia-Plus -- A two-day regional meeting of the Security Council secretaries from member nations of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) opened in the Tajik northern city of Qairoqqum today.

The CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha said ahead of the meeting that the meeting was quite a topical and it was being held in the light of tasks set at the meeting of the CSTO Security Council secretaries that took place in December 2010.

According to him, problems existing in the Arab world, a huge number of refugees and problems existing in Central Asia have shown once again that the organization must take concerted measures to provide stability in the CSTO member nations.

There are appropriate reasons for that.  The Taliban militants are already in the north of Afghanistan, moreover, they have come nearer to borders of the CSTO member nations, the CSTO secretary general said, noting that there were attempts by armed forces to destabilize the situation.

The meeting participants include Kyrgyz Vice-Premier Shamil Atakhanov, Tajik Security Council Secretary Amirqul Azimov and representative of Kazakh Security Council Ruslanbek Bekzhgitov.

The sides are currently conducting bilateral consultations.

The CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha and Russia’s Security Council Deputy Secretary Yuri Zubakov heading delegations of the CSTO and Russia’s Security Council have reportedly already visited southern Kyrgyzstan.

The purpose of the visit is for the delegations to assess and analyze the current situation and trends of development of the situation in the areas bordering Afghanistan and discuss the regional security issues.

In Dushanbe, the CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha will participate at a meeting of the working group for Afghanistan at the CSTO council of foreign ministers that will take place in the Tajik capital from March 16-17.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization now groups Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.