Tokayev addresses CSTO Parliamentary Assembly Council in Saint Petersburg
The Speaker highlighted that the Council session is held in the period of three anniversary dates related to CSTO: 25th Anniversary of the Collective Security Treaty, 15th Anniversary of CSTO and 10th Anniversary of CSTO Parliamentary Assembly.
According to him, CSTO is a recognized credible international organization that has become an important factor for ensuring military and political stability in Eurasia.
"Based on the achieved results the member states need to continue improvement of mechanisms of CSTO activities. Strengthening of CSTO potential and partnership in the framework of our Organization fully meets Kazakhstan's interests and therefore is a constant focus of President Nursultan Nazarbayev who made several suggestions to intensify its activity", Tokayev said.
"We are counting on close collaboration with all CSTO allies as to Kazakhstan membership in UN Security Council. In our view, CSTO should position itself as military and political association targeted at solution of the greatest modern challenges, primarily terrorism", the Senate Chairman added.
Tokayev noted that being one of the key links of global and regional security CSTO is yet to strengthen cooperation with similar international organizations as it is strongly required by the complexity of the present-day situation in the world.
"Without such a cooperation and interaction it is not possible to carry out consolidated activities to counter international terrorism, assist in stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan, resolve protracted conflicts and conduct a broad-based dialogue for the problems of security, disarmament and confidence-building measures on the whole", the Speaker stressed.
It appears to him that the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly activities in a parliamentary dimension have proved its relevance mainly in terms of legal enforceability of collective security system needs.
"Convergence and harmonization of legislation is an essential factor for partnership of our states. Kazakh Parliament in due time has ratified all the major agreements signed in the CSTO framework. The agenda of the parliamentarians is expanding and covers joint activities for the most pressing issues of modern security", Tokayev said.
The Senate Speaker emphasized that collaborative work of the parliamentarians in CSTO PA improves the Organization's effectiveness.
With gratitude he acknowledged the enormous contribution of Russia in strengthening the potential of CSTO and the constructive work of Russian parliamentarians in that line.
Summarizing his speech, the Speaker congratulated his colleagues on the anniversaries and noted that Kazakh delegation will continue the work for strengthening all capabilities of parliamentary diplomacy including in CSTO framework.