CSTO Secretary General told who can apply for membership in the  Organization, and who only for observer status

ArmInfo. The stability and strength of the CSTO is one of the attractive landmarks of the organization. The CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas stated this in  an interview with RIA Novosti.

At the same time, he added that the Organization has now entered the  stage of practically launching the mechanism of CSTO partners and  observers. "We hope that there will be organizations and countries  that will already legally act as our partners and observers. The  ground is almost ready for this. We now have many friendly countries  and organizations. Now we have adopted the statutory documents on the  introduction of the institution of observer and CSTO partner and the  process of ratification of these legislative changes by parliaments  is at the final stage. All states, except Tajikistan, have completed  ratification. We are waiting for this step from Tajikistan. After  this, it will be possible to proceed to the next stage of work on  forming belt of good neighborliness. This, incidentally, is one of  the issues of the forthcoming session of the CSTO Council of Foreign  Ministers. Consideration of further steps in the implementation of  the status of the partner and the CSTO observer ", the Secretary  General of the CSTO noted.

He added that the observer status at the CSTO provides for the  opportunity to study the open regulatory legal framework of the  organization, the experience and practice of its activities, attend  meetings of the CSTO bodies, and events held in the CSTO format.

Zas emphasized that the CSTO partner is granted broader powers,  including, in particular, the right to join international treaties  concluded under the CSTO, to participate and speak in an advisory  capacity at meetings of the organization's bodies, to directly  participate in the exercises of the forces and means of the  collective security system conducted by it, as well as in operations  and operational preventive measures.

"At the same time, in accordance with the adopted documents,  potential partner and observer states must meet the following  criteria: be members of the UN, have diplomatic relations with all  CSTO member states, and with regard to potential partners, plus to  this not be in a state of armed conflict with other states, "said the  CSTO Secretary General.

Clarifying who is the first to apply for membership in the CSTO and  which country has already applied Zas expressed his conviction that  the time has not come yet for applications, because the issue has not  yet been ratified.

"When we finish ratification, we will already have full legal right  to put this format into practice. Of course, there are inspiration  and plans. I spoke about this at the meeting with the heads of state  and with the foreign ministers when I visited Armenia and Belarus. We  discussed this topic with the President of the Russian Federation  Vladimir Putin and the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.  Unfortunately, trips to other countries have been canceled. But we  will return to this conversation. We discussed possible partners,  observers. This conversation will continue at the meeting of the CSTO  Council of Foreign Ministers, which will be held May 26 in the video  conferencing mode, "said Zas.

Clarifying whether there are specific applicant countries that want  to obtain this status, and for example, the same Uzbekistan, which  was already a member of the CSTO before 2012, can become a member of  it again, the Secretary General recalled that Article 19 of the CSTO  Charter stipulates that "a member of the Organization may become any  state that shares its goals and principles and is ready to accept the  obligations contained in this Charter and other international  treaties and decisions operating within the framework of the  Organization may become ".

"But the expansion of the military-political bloc itself must be  approached very carefully. I think this is also a prospect. But the  issue is not immediate. The bloc can and should be expanded through  the institute of partners and observers, which is now on the agenda.

Since the conversation specifically about Uzbekistan has begun, I  will say more from myself. I am well acquainted with this beautiful  country and I know what dynamic and progressive changes are taking  place there. The country has a great perspective. We have good  relations with all CSTO member states and have experience in our  bloc. Uzbekistan fully meets the criteria that I spoke about. If  there is a corresponding interest on the part of Tashkent, various  options for interaction can be discussed, including taking into  account the opportunities that provide the status of a CSTO partner  and an observer at the CSTO, "Stanislav Zas summed up.