The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) – a group of former Soviet nations joint Foreign Minister conference at Kazakhstan’s capital Astana ended today.

At the end of the conference the foreign ministers signed a declaration adopting the establishment of cooperation with NATO. After the signing ceremony Kazakh Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov gave a speech saying the meeting had been very productive in developing protective apparatuses in central Asia.

After the speech Kazykhanov and CSTO General Secretary Nikolai Borduja held a press conference and answered correspondents’ questions regarding the meeting. Kazykhanov stated that the conference had discussed issues such as the turnover of power to local authorities in Afghanistan, precautions which will be taken in connection with the Afgani/Tajiki border, events in northern Africa and the Middle East, Tensions in the Caucasus Region, the Iranian nuclear program, and recent events in Syria and Pakistan.

CTSO General Secretary Borduja said the new agreement with NATO, which provided for collaboration with United Nations and NATO, would increase the responsibility of CTSO.

The conference was held in the Astana Rixos Hotel in Astana, Kazakhstan. Attending were the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbayev, Uzbekistan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kamil Rashidov, Tajiki Foreign Minister Hamrakhan Zarifi, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, Belarus Foreign Minister Sergey Martinov and CTSO General Secretary Nicolyay Borduja.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization is an intergovernmental military alliance of Post-soviet countries. It was created in 1992. CSTO members are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.