UN-CSTO interaction promising - Russian deputy envoy to UN

UNITED NATIONS, August 19. /TASS/. Russia believes that deepening interaction between the United Nations and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in peacekeeping activities is promising, Pyotr Ilyichyov, a deputy permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, said at a meeting of the UN Security Council on cooperation with regional organizations. The diplomat characterized the CSTO as "a multi-vector structure capable of confidently reacting to the wide range of modern challenges and threats that its member states could face". "In this connection, the deepening of interaction between the UN and the CSTO in the sphere of peacekeeping is seen as promising. Intense work is being conducted within the framework of the CSTO to develop its own peacekeeping potential, including for use in UN peacekeeping operations," Ilyichyov said. The CSTO is a regional security group comprising six countries - Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Armenia. He noted the assistance that the CSTO actively provides to international efforts on post-conflict restoration of Afghanistan and reaction to the drug threat emanating from the country’s territory. Ilyichyov said the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is making a serious contribution to ensuring stability and security in the Eurasian region. "The organization has by right become the cornerstone of regional security in all its manifestations. Its activity is in demand in the field of fight against terrorism and extremism. In this context, the Regional Antiterrorism Structure has gained a good reputation. Interaction in the sphere of WMD nonproliferation and ensuring international information security is also developing," he said. The SCO comprises Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan have the status of observers, and Belarus, Turkey and Sri Lanka are "partners in dialogue". UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivered opening remarks during the UN Security Council meeting. He pointed to the importance of interaction with regional and subregional organizations, saying he counted on their political influence as well as civil and military potential. As an example of joint successful work, he cited the UN’s cooperation with the African Union and the European Union. Read more