CSTO leaders approve nearly 20 documents at Moscow summit

MOSCOW, November 11. /TASS/. Leaders of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) approved a declaration and 18 other documents during a summit chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Moscow Kremlin. In addition to the declaration, the leaders adopted two statements, one on the role of interparliamentary cooperation and the other on coordinating efforts to combat terrorism. They also adopted an agreement on the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly and a series of decisions. The leaders decided to strip Armenia of its voting rights over unpaid dues, approve a counterterrorism strategy through 2030 and establish a medal marking the CSTO’s 25th anniversary. Other decisions included establishing a lead organization to research biological security issues, developing the Collective Air Forces and revising the instructions for protecting classified information. The leaders also carried out the required rotations in senior posts, approved the report on budget execution and conferred CSTO awards. They also adopted a procedural decision at the highest level to transfer the CSTO chairmanship from Russia to Tajikistan next year.