MOSCOW, March 30. /TASS/. The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is one of the most important instruments of ensuring national security, and its top priority is fighting terrorist recruitment, Belarusian Ambassador to Russia Igor Petrishenko told TASS on Wednesday.
"Our country considers CSTO as one of the most important instruments of ensuring national and regional security," Petrishenko said. "It is obvious that in light of expanding geography of operations of the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia), the anti-terrorist vector requires special attention," he added.
"Amon priority tasks are fighting against recruitment of citizens and their participation in armed conflicts in third countries," the ambassador noted. "Practice showed that after receiving relevant experience, these militants will return to their respective countries and generally have this intention to continue terrorist activities," he added.
"In general, geopolitical realities make it necessary to develop and expand CSTO’s cooperation with UN, other international organizations, regional structures operating in the sphere of security and fighting terrorism," Petrishenko went on. "Belarus will continue contributing in every possible way to qualitative development of the Organization as a multi-functional integrational structure, its adaptation to changing circumstances, its transformation into a key institute of ensuring security in the zone of its responsibility. We see this as a guarantee of CSTO member countries’ ability to carry out preventive and effective joint actions," he concluded.
The Collective Security Treaty Organization, founded in 2002, incorporates six countries - Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.