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CSTO regrets absence of teamwork with NATO in anti-drug fight

The Collective Security Treaty Organization acknowledges with regret the absence of cooperation with NATO on key issues

LYAUR (Tajikistan), September 20 (Itar-Tass) — The Collective Security Treaty Organization acknowledges with regret the absence of cooperation with NATO on key issues, first of all concerning joint fight against terrorism, drugs and other threats coming from Afghanistan, CSTO’s Deputy Secretary General Valery Semeryakov said on Tuesday during Center-2011 military exercises.

“The issue of such cooperation has been repeatedly brought up by the Russian side at the highest level starting from 2004,” Colonel General Semeryakov stressed. “So far there is no concrete success in that sphere to make boast of,” he admitted.

“Sober voices can be heard from that side (NATO) as to a need for such cooperation, and negotiations are held through diplomatic channels, but there are no concrete results or plans as of yet,” he stressed.

At the same time, the CSTO believes “success depends only on the efficiency of joint action,” he said mentioning an example of cooperation with the OSCE on fight against drugs.

The CSTO official did not comment in detail on the possible development of events in Afghanistan and in the region after the expected withdrawal of NATO troops. He only said that “the CSTO keeps the situation under control”.

He said the current antiterrorist exercises of the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Force and the Collective Rapid Deployment Forces in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan testify to that.

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