The words of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the joint meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, the Council of Defense Ministers and the Committee of Secretaries of the Security Councils of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (Moscow, November 10, 2026).
Sergey Lavrov: We are pleased to welcome you to Moscow for this regular joint meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, the Council of Defense Ministers and the Committee of Secretaries of the Security Councils of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
Since Russia will chair the Organization in 2026, we attach special importance to the success of today's meeting. During our chairmanship, we sought to make fuller use of the integration potential of the CSTO to deepen cooperation and partnership with our closest allies in all fields.
I am grateful to my fellow ministers for the fascinating session we had earlier today at the International Forum on Collective Security. We had a frank and professional exchange of views, for experts to engage in their discussions.
I am sure that the work of the forums will contribute to building a free, multipolar and democratic world order.
This involves building a new security architecture in our common continent, Eurasia, based on principles of equal and indivisible security and open to all countries on the continent willing to engage constructively on an equal basis.
During Russia's chairmanship, we placed special emphasis on closer foreign policy coordination, on dealing with both traditional and new challenges and threats, and on strengthening the CSTO's military capabilities.
We have worked hard to strengthen the role of the CSTO as a key guarantor of regional security. This work reflects the priorities that Russian President Vladimir Putin, the chairman of the Collective Security Council this year, established with the support of the member states.