Coordinator of the Analytical Association of CSTO Igor Panarin spoke to VK about the prospects of the expansion of the Collective Security TreatyOrganization.
Panarin said that at the moment the CSTO comprises a total of six countries, while the seventh country, Uzbekistan, has suspended its membership in the Organization, but "we hope that sooner or later this country will once again become a full-fledged member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization," Panarin added.
"At the same time in 2013, in April, there a very important step was made from the point of view of the dynamics of the organization, two countries, Serbia and Afghanistan, have become members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization exists since 2006, and it is a mechanism that allows the integration of the country that could potentially become a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization," Panarin said.
"We assess strategically the hope that Ukraine will join the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly. One could say that there is an influence of neutral countries, particularly Finland, that there is a movement that advocates the integration of Finland in the CSTO. But in general, of course, we will hope that the current organization will be based on their potential six member states - Armenia, Tajikistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Belarus. We are able to ensure the safety of the Eurasian space with available forces and capabilities," Panarin expressed his confidence.
