MINSK, September 6. /TASS/. The Collective Security Treaty Organization’s (CSTO) "Combat Brotherhood-2023" exercises, which have been concluded in Belarus, have confirmed the organization’s status as a guarantor of regional security rather than a bloc oriented at dominating the Eurasian region, Russian Ambassador to Belarus Boris Gryzlov told TASS speaking about the results of the exercises.

"The results of the exercises have once again confirmed that the CSTO has all the necessary resources, expertise and experience for the organization to be a reliable guarantor of regional security for many years," he emphasized.

In the run-up to the CSTO Collective Security Council session, which is scheduled to take place in the fourth quarter of this year in Minsk, regardless of some skeptic’s statements, the association demonstrates great effectiveness in resolving the tasks at hand, Gryzlov noted. "This is largely ensured by the successful holding of joint exercises, within the framework of which military and other specialized units from the member states have the opportunity to share best practices and train on coordinating their actions to combat common challenges," he explained.

He pointed out that Western countries, as the world is moving away from the unipolar system, are fighting tooth and nail to preserve their positions. "Meanwhile, with the inherent grace of a bull in a china shop, they do not consider the colossal ‘collateral damage’ that they inflict both on individual countries and the entire architecture of international relations. This is nothing new: the barbaric actions of the British in India, the French in Africa, the Americans in Iraq and Libya, and NATO in Yugoslavia are all links in the same chain. The price of such a policy is thousands of innocent lives," the Russian diplomat stated.

CSTO countries do not want the organization to be known as a bloc that aims for confrontation with anyone or claims "some kind of 'dominance" in the Eurasian Region and interferes in the affairs of sovereign states". Thus, the organization's approach is "fundamentally different from the neo-colonial model that is NATO," he said.

The CSTO is an organization of the future

"By all objective criteria, the CSTO is an organization of the future. The model of cooperation offered by the member states will only grow in attractiveness and relevance," Gryzlov said.

Interaction between CSTO countries continues to develop in all the most relevant areas, not only in military cooperation, countering cross-border threats and dealing with the consequences of emergencies, but also in effective foreign policy coordination, he noted.

"Against the background of growing turbulence on the CSTO's external borders, caused primarily by the irresponsible policy of the collective West, we attach great importance to the practical positioning of the organization as a powerful force in ensuring stability. At the same time, we certainly continue to develop relations with other international structures on specialized topics of mutual interest," the diplomat concluded.

CSTO exercises

Five joint special exercise sessions were held within the framework of the CSTO operational-strategic exercises "Combat Brotherhood-2023" held in Belarus from September 1 to 6. They included the "Interaction" exercise of the Collective Rapid Reaction Force, the "Search" exercise involving intelligence units, the "Echelon" exercise for logistical support forces and means, the "Barrier" exercise bringing together specialists in radiation, chemical and biological protection and medical support, and the "Rock" exercise for rescue units. Contingents from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan took part in the exercise. Besides these countries, the CSTO also includes Armenia. At the final stage of the "Combat Brotherhood-2023" exercises, a joint training exercise of the CSTO Peacekeeping Forces "Indestructible Brotherhood-2023" is planned to be held in Kyrgyzstan.