June 24, 2006 - 14:46 AMT
Uzbekistan Restored CSTO Membership
Uzbekistan has cancelled moratorium on active work within the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and became a full member of the Organization, it was announced at the CSTO Summit held in Minsk on Friday. Uzbek President Islam Karimov underscored that his country has never denounced the treaty on its participation in the CSTO.

Karimov reminded that the CST was signed in Tashkent May 15, 1992. He remarked that Uzbekistan actively participated in works to arrange the Treaty. He explained the urge to restore membership by "Uzbekistan, having become full member of the EurAsEC, cannot stop on halfway."

Russian President Vladimir Putin positively assessed the return of Uzbekistan into the CSTO. Presidents of Armenia, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan also took part in the meeting. The state leaders discussed the forming of the mechanism of peacekeeping of Organization member states, as well as the creation of a Group of Collective Security Troops in Central Asia.