Regional security summit to convene in Dushanbe

An upcoming summit in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, set to begin on Monday, is expected to deliver the formation of a permanent council and headquarters for the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) - a six-member military and political alliance of the former Soviet republics of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. "There is a need for cooperation on issues such as drug trafficking and terrorism, and this development will be positive," Vladimir Sotirov, the UN secretary-general's special representative in Tajikistan, told IRIN from Dushanbe. Established in 1992, through the Collective Security Treaty (CST) in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, by the heads of state of six countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, these being Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Azerbaijan subsequently joined the CST in 1993, together with Belarus and Georgia. The CST became effective on 20 April 1994 for a period of five years with potential subsequent extensions. In 1999, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan pulled out of the treaty. The charter of the CSTO and its legal status were approved in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, on 7 October 2002. In the past, the CSTO focused largely on joint security concerns in Central Asia, but never had a proper organisational structure. The alliance aims to focus on preserving the territorial integrity of member states, and seeking closer cooperation with the UN, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, NATO and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Experts believe that the CSTO needed a unique identity, and that the decisions to be made at the upcoming Dushanbe summit are likely to include an agreement on the formation of a joint headquarters in 2004. Years after the end of the five-year civil war in Tajikistan in 1997, the country is trying to cooperate with both regional and multilateral organisations and institutions. "This is opening new perspectives for Tajikistan to get more assistance, and also to participate in regional development," Sotirov said, adding that the objective of hosting the upcoming summit was to integrate such efforts. Parallel to its role in CSTO, Tajikistan is also seeking World Trade Organisation membership and has joined NATO's Partnership for Peace initiative. It is also a member of the SCO, together with China, Russia, Kazakhstan and, Kyrgyzstan. Formed in 1996, the group specifically focused on battling the terrorist threats emanating from Afghanistan, and ensuring regional stability.