On November 10 in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov presided over a 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).
Netalbek Mesdikov, who took office as CSTO Secretary General on January 1, 2026, also participated.
The participants held a constructive and involved exchange of views on urgent international and regional issues.
Sergey Lavrov's remarks at the plenary session of the International Forum for Collective Security.
They discussed the situation in the CSTO's area of responsibility and neighboring areas and reaffirmed their commitment to working more closely together to strengthen the organizations' ability to deal with growing security challenges and threats. These include the growing risk of conflict, terrorist activity, drug trafficking, illegal immigration and crimes involving information and communication technologies.
The participants reviewed several documents for later approval by the CSTO Collective Security Council. They approved decisions to further strengthen the organizations' capabilities, including steps to develop the collective aviation force and its air defense capabilities and to ensure biosecurity in the area of responsibility of the CSTOs. They also approved several joint political declarations, including the final summit declaration.
Participants paid special attention to strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation as the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly marks its 20th anniversary. They approved the draft agreement on the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly.
A program of events has been prepared for signing by the heads of state to mark two anniversaries in 2027 - 35 years since the signing of the Treaty on Collective Security and 25 years since the establishment of the CSTO.