Regional security officials gathered on Thursday in an expanded format meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Collective Security Council, President of Russia Vladimir Putin reported.
Putin opened the session by telling delegates that participants had just completed a constructive exchange on global security issues during a limited attendance meeting. Members reached complete understanding on nearly every item on the agenda, he noted.
Council members gave a positive assessment of Russia’s CSTO chairmanship throughout 2026. Officials coordinated efforts to hold over 100 events across key cooperation areas, according to President of Russia.
Member states promoted concerted positions at the United Nations and other multilateral structures. These unified approaches are reflected in the draft declaration slated for adoption during the current meeting.
Large-scale joint exercises took place in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Russia, President of Russia reported.
‼️🇷🇺 CSTO to adopt key decisions on the development of the organization’s collective forces — Putin ▪️ At the CSTO summit in the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the heads of state are set to approve decisions aimed at the further development of the… pic.twitter.com/H2synckpcj
Key drills included the Interaction-2026 exercise in the Chelyabinsk Region and the Centre-2026 strategic command post exercise. Leaders must now decide on further developments for the CSTO Collective Forces, including new air components and mobile air defence units.
Security agencies strengthened coordination to combat terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, and illegal migration. The situation in Afghanistan remained a central focus for external border security, President of Russia stated.
Cooperation also increased in biological safety and countering dangerous infectious diseases. Anna Popova, Chair of the CSTO Coordinating Council on Biological Security, will brief the council on those efforts.
The year 2027 marks the 35th anniversary of the signing of the Collective Security Treaty and the 25th anniversary of the CSTO. Tajikistan will assume the organization’s chairmanship for the upcoming year.
“Our friends from Tajikistan, who are now taking over the chairmanship, therefore, face an important and demanding task: not only to take stock of our many years of cooperation but also to outline strategic prospects for its further development,” Putin told council members.
Delegates considered the draft declaration of the Collective Security Council, which reflects unified approaches to regional developments and CSTO development priorities.
Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, briefed members on the organization’s legislative framework.
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