MOSCOW, January 20. /TASS/. The international community has highly appreciated the activities of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on various tracks in its area of responsibility, CSTO Secretary-General Imangali Tasmagambetov told TASS, while answering a question about the significance of the UN General Assembly’s resolution on cooperation with the CSTO.

He recalled that during Armenia's CSTO chairmanship last year, the 77th session of the UN General Assembly on November 21 adopted a resolution entitled Cooperation between the United Nations and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

"I note with satisfaction that the international community highly appreciated the CSTO’s activities. The resolution emphasizes that the CSTO Collective Security Treaty has been transformed into a multifunctional structure with a potential to adequately respond to a wide range of challenges and threats in its area of responsibility," Tasmagambetov said.

He pointed out that the resolution noted significant efforts by the CSTO to strengthen the system of regional security and stability, counter terrorism and organized transnational crime, combat drug and arms trafficking, irregular migration and human trafficking.

As Tasmagambetov emphasized, the resolution stated progress in intensifying practical cooperation with the CSTO in the conduct of UN peacekeeping operations.

"The CSTO has significant resources for this: the Collective Peacekeeping Force (CPF) of the organization has a strength of about 3,800. This personnel generally meets the general requirements and standards of the UN for peacekeepers. The possibility of the CSTO CPF taking part in UN peacekeeping operations through a coordinating state is being explored, he recalled.

Development of cooperation with the UN

In general, according to the CSTO secretary-general, since the beginning of 2023 the organization has stepped up work for interaction with international structures. He noted that strengthening the role and importance of the CSTO in the system of international relations had become one of the priorities of Belarus' CSTO chairmanship in 2023.

"In accordance with the resolution of the UN General Assembly, the CSTO Secretariat will take further steps to deepen cooperation and coordination between specialized agencies and programs of the UN system and the CSTO and develop direct contacts with them in areas of mutual interest," Tasmagambetov concluded.