October 31, 2016 - 14:56 AMT
CSTO to seek joint activities with UN during Belarus' presidency

The CSTO member states plan to initiate joint activities with the United Nations during Belarus' presidency in the regional organization, Belarus' Permanent Representative to the United Nations Andrei Dapkiunas said at a special meeting of the UN Security Council, BelTA reports.

The meeting, in which Dapkiunas took part, focused on the cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations - the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization - for maintaining international peace and security.

In his statement on behalf of the CSTO member states, Belarus' Permanent Representative outlined the main approaches to building partnership between the CSTO and the United Nations. Dapkiunas noted that during Belarus' CSTO presidency the member states are planning to initiate a series of joint meetings and activities with the UN on the most pressing international issues.

Based on their belief in the indivisibility of peace, security and progressive sustainable development, Belarus and other CSTO countries will contribute to the collective work of international organizations to promote peace and security.

The CSTO is a versatile organization which can cooperate with the UN on many fronts: peacekeeping, fighting terrorism and drug trafficking, disaster management, combating trafficking in human beings and illegal migration.