CSTO and Problems of Regional Security in the Eurasian Space (to the 30th Anniversary of the Collective Security Treaty)

Abstract

The aim of the article is to analyse the activities of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation and its role in the history of contemporary international relations in the post-Soviet space, within which comprehensive security cooperation is developing. The authors note that the organisation, formed in the 1990s, has evolved into a multifunctional and multifaceted organisation with both a strong legal basis and a wide range of structures and direct instruments to address the challenges faced by the CSTO. They analyse the key documents that have shaped the development of the organisation, the similarities and differences in the positions of its members towards its activities, and the effectiveness of the peacekeeping activities of the CSTO. They emphasise that despite significant progress in the development of the CSTO, its activities are beset by a number of problems related to the different foreign policy orientations of the member states, the influence of non-regional actors, conflicts in the post-Soviet space, and a number of other aspects. Nevertheless, they conclude that at present the CSTO is the only security mechanism in the post-Soviet space that has passed the test of its ability to collectively respond to threats, and its development has been one of the priorities of Russian foreign policy in the region.