MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/. Representatives of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan have discussed the preparation of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) system in 2024, as well as joint command, staff and special exercises with the organization's Collective Forces, CSTO Joint Staff Press Secretary Vladislav Shchegrikovich told TASS.

"On December 12-14, on the basis of the Joint Staff of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in the videoconference mode, consultations of representatives of interested ministries and departments of the CSTO member states were held on the organization of measures of joint training of management bodies and formations of forces and means of the CSTO collective security system," Shchegrikovich said. According to him, representatives of interested ministries and agencies of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, as well as the CSTO Secretariat and the CSTO Joint Staff took part in the consultations chaired by First Deputy Head of the CSTO Joint Staff, Lieutenant General Hasan Kaloev.

The participants reviewed the proposals of the Joint Staff on the CSTO system's joint training of its governing bodies, forces and means next year, discussed approaches to the conduct of joint exercises with the organization's Collective Forces and the dates for the first and second staff talks. The representatives of the countries agreed on the need to be guided by the CSTO headquarters' version of the development of the military, political and strategic situation and the regulations on the preparation and conduct of joint exercises. Next year, the focus will be on the Central Asian region of collective security, Shchegrikovich added.

Namely, exercises with the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Force are planned in Kyrgyzstan, with the CSTO Peacekeeping Forces - in Kazakhstan, with the Collective Rapid Reaction Force of the Central Asian region - in Tajikistan.

"The draft plan of joint training of the CSTO collective security system's management bodies and formations for 2025 has also been discussed and agreed upon," the spokesman added. "A set of these measures is aimed at increasing the readiness of the forces and means of the CSTO's collective security system to fulfill their intended tasks."