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CSTO states concerned over bio laboratories on their territory, Secretary General says

According to Stanislav Zas, the Covid pandemic was the catalyst for the CSTO to address the biological security issue

MOSCOW, December 19. /TASS/. The issue of biological laboratories in CSTO member states raises concerns among a number of the organization’s members, CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas said during the 2022 review press conference Monday.

"This issue has emerged not recently, but rather long ago. Of course, the issue of security in light of existing bio laboratories […] was discussed more than once," he said. "I’m not hiding anything, this issue causes certain wariness and concerns in some of our CSTO member states. Of course, this issue must be examined by our coordination council, where specialists from our member states must also be represented."

According to Zas, the Covid pandemic was the catalyst for the CSTO to address the biological security issue.

"You remember how it all started, how puzzling and dangerous it was for all of us. It has become clear now that no one can guarantee that such pandemics will not happen again. Maybe, they will take different forms," he added. "If we set a goal to ensure the safety of our peoples and our states from modern threats and challenges, then we cannot ignore these real tangible threats."

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Foreign policy CSTO

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