”Colleagues,
Esteemed friends,
I heartily welcome all the participants of the meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
Strengthening security of our countries and developing collective defense capabilitiesl in close coordination with partners are the key priorities of the Russian CSTO chairmanship in 2020. Cooperation of the member states of the Organization within the framework of the parliamentary dimension plays an important role in the implementation of these tasks.
In the face of growing challenges that are common for us, such as international terrorism and extremism, drug trafficking and illegal migration, we attach great importance to the activities of the Parliamentary Assembly to ensure the timely ratification of the documents adopted by the CSTO member states and to harmonize national security legislations.
Another important area of inter-parliamentary cooperation is development of common approaches to counter the threats related to interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states. And, of course, coordination of efforts aimed at countering the coronavirus pandemic is of particular relevance at this time.
I am convinced that your discussions will be meaningful and productive, and the adopted decisions will help to strengthen allied ties between our countries.
I wish you success and all the best.
Vladimir Putin.“
