Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 17 October (BelTA) – The joint efforts the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states show in the sphere of safety produce good results, BelTA learned from Belarusian Emergencies Minister Vladimir Vashchenko during the session of the CSTO Coordinating Council for Emergencies in Minsk on 17 October.

The official noted that countries are required to pool their efforts due to modern reality. “Every day we witness various emergencies, which, unfortunately, claim human lives. This is why we work within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization where a coordinating council for emergencies has been created. The council has been in place for ten years already. We have made a lot of progress in the period. Sessions of the council allow top officials to exchange their opinions and share the best practices,” said Vladimir Vashchenko. The minister went on saying that joint efforts of the CSTO member states in the area of safety produce good results by reducing human losses and economic losses in every member state.

CSTO Deputy Secretary General Valery Semerikov noted that working out mechanisms to respond to emergencies and deal with their consequences plays a central part in the CSTO’s efforts to counteract challenges and threats. Results of the work done by the CSTO Coordinating Council for Emergencies and the relevant agencies indicate high demand for these efforts, stressed Valery Semerikov. The council’s work is primarily focused on working out mechanisms to promptly respond to crisis situations. The work has been fleshed out as the relevant regulation signed by the heads of state. The document specifies how the CSTO member states are supposed to act if an emergency happens in the collective security region. The issues that arise in the course of implementing the document and procedures for responding to emergencies would be looked at more closely during the session, said Valery Semerikov.

The official reminded that the CSTO heads of state had passed an agreement on selling special hardware and special equipment to the emergency services on preferential terms. “It is very effective. The purchases are done using domestic prices, with each country saving a lot of money. However, there are some difficulties with implementing the agreement since the procedures for setting the prices, terms of delivery and fulfillment are not completely polished. The matter will be discussed today, too. I think we will come up with good and effective solutions,” said the CSTO deputy secretary general.

Participants of the session will also discuss cooperation in personnel training and interaction with international organizations.

Cooperation between the Collective Security Treaty Organization member states in preventing emergencies and dealing with their consequences is one of the CSTO’s fields of concern. This kind of cooperation is overseen by the CSTO Coordinating Council for Emergencies. The agency was established in October 2007 by the relevant resolution of the CSTO Collective Security Council. The CSTO Coordinating Council for Emergencies constantly works to improve the CSTO collective emergency response system. Cooperation is in progress to train and offer career enhancement courses to specialists. Joint exercises and competitions are organized. The council also works to shape the common scientific and technical policy and enable information exchange.