CSTO to celebrate 20th anniversary, sign declaration

MOSCOW. May 14. KAZINFORM New initiatives suggested by the Head of State Nursultan Nazarbayev are aimed at stepping up the CSTO activities in new spheres, Kazakhstan's Authorized Representative under the CSTO Vladimir Alessin said in an interview to Kazakh mass media.

This year will mark 20 years of signing of the Collective Security Agreement and 10 years of the CSTO establishment. Next CSTO meeting in Moscow on May 15 will be dedicated to this. Presidents of all CSTO member countries are believed to take part in the session.

Mr. Alessin especially stressed that Kazakhstan had played one of the key roles in the CSTO formation. "Kazakhstan has played a defining role. New initiatives suggested by the Head of State Nursultan Nazarbayev are directed to boosting the CSTO activities in new fields," he noted.

According to Vladimir Alessin, at the upcoming CSTO top-level meeting the Final Declaration dated to the 20^th anniversary of the organization will be signed.