The decision was taken by the Presidents of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan at the Moscow session of the Collective Security Council which was chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Collective Security Treaty has proved to be an effective instrument for protecting the peaceful life of peoples and ensuring the national interests of the CST members, President Putin said addressing the members of the session.
The rapidly changing geopolitical situation calls for further improving the system of collective security and an adequate response to modern threats. In connection with this, it was decided to create a new regional structure, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO). Its creation, according to Mr Putin, would substantially enrich the content of military-political interaction among the members of the Collective Security Treaty and help to stabilise the situation in Eurasia.
The CSTO, the President stressed, is ready to cooperate with other similar organisations both in the East and in the West, including NATO and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
A decision was taken by the session to create an interstate CST military control body. A group of coordinators comprising representatives of the General Staffs will be formed to run the day-to-day military work under the treaty and to prepare decisions on military development.
At the end of the summit the leaders of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan adopted a statement on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Collective Security Treaty and met with journalists.