ArmInfo. The difficult situation persists in the Caucasus direction due to the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Acting Secretary General of the Organization Valery Semerikov in Bishkek stated this at the retreat meeting of the Council of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly.
During his speech, Semerikov highlighted in detail the most pressing issues of the Organization's activities, as well as the main challenges and threats that Member States face. The Acting Secretary General of the CSTO noted the growth of conflict potential in the world and assessed the situation in the Eurasian region as "difficult with the prospect of further escalation of tension," saying that the situation in the region is not simple due to the unresolved Karabakh conflict. At the same time, he noted that "reducing tensions in the controversy on this issue, as well as directly on the contact line of the armed forces, give reason to hope that progress will be made in finding a Karabakh settlement."
As a factor destabilizing the situation in the Caucasus, V.Semerikov also noted the "proactive role of Tbilisi in the process of military development of the region by the North Atlantic alliance."
He also expressed concern about the situation developing in the Eastern European direction, namely, the growing number and scale of NATO exercises, the planned buildup of the alliance's military activities, and the deployment of its infrastructure near the borders of Belarus and Russia. "Under the NATO flag, the American military presence in Europe is increasing," said the Acting Secretary General of the Organization. According to him, the problem of the return of non-strategic nuclear weapons on the territory of the nuclear powers also causes concern.
Among other international issues affecting the security level of the CSTO member states, the Acting Secretary General of the Organization referred to the situation around the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles, as well as tasks related to countering international terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime and illegal migration.
According to the Acting Secretary General of the CSTO, Afghanistan remains a hotbed of regional instability. "In this country, fighting and terrorist acts continue that take people's lives and do not allow the state's economy to be restored. The steady trend towards increased tensions on the Tajik-Afghan border is particularly disturbing. The organization is actively working to exert a deterrent effect and to strengthen the Tajik-Afghan border," he informed.
V.Semerikov stated that decisive measures are being taken by the leadership of the CSTO to improve the power component of the Organization. So, back in 2018, the countries agreed to hold six joint exercises this year: three in Russia, two in Tajikistan and one in Kyrgyzstan.
Referring to the Priority Directions of the CSTO during the presidency of the Kyrgyz Republic in the Organization in 2019, the Acting Secretary General reported that at present the Plan for their implementation has been implemented by 72 percent. "I'm sure he will be fully implemented for the next session," he added.