CSTO defense ministers discuss security challenges

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - A session of the Council of Defense Ministers of the CSTO Member States was held in Astana, Kazinform correspondent reports.

At the press conference, CSTO Secretary-General Yuri Khatchaturov said that the participants of the meeting discussed 11 documents and made specific decisions on six of them. Five documents will be submitted for approval by the heads of state at the forthcoming CSTO Security Council. One of the items on the meeting agenda was about the election of the Chief of CSTO Joint Staff for the next three years as the term of office of the current head of staff Anatoliy Sidorov comes to an end in September 2018.

"All parties supported the extension of the term of office of General-Colonel Anatoliy Sidorov. However, the final decision will be made by the presidents. The CSTO Security Council session will be held in November," Yuri Khatchaturov pointed out.

In addition, he said that during the meeting, the ministers discussed the current challenges faced by CSTO member countries, and approved the Action Plan of the CSTO Defense Ministers Council for the second half of 2018 and the first half of 2019. Moreover, they considered the training of military personnel.