YEREVAN (Combined Sources)–Interior ministers of the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) convened in the Armenian capital of Yerevan on Wednesday, April 15 to explore opportunities to forge greater cooperation among rapid reaction forces and law enforcement agencies of the respective member states.
The participants agreed to hold joint defense and police trainings in the future, the Arminfo news agency reported. In addition, Nikolai Bordyuzha, the CSTO secretary general, said that Iran has expressed interest in full membership in the organization. “Iranian special forces took part in a number of our operations,” Bordyuzha was quoted by Arminfo as saying.
Russia, Armenia, and all the Central Asian States, except Turkmenistan, are members of the organization. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan did not send representatives to attend the Yerevan meeting, the Public Radio of Armenia reported.
Speaking at a press conference later in the day, Bordyuzha reiterated his appreciation for Iran’s participation in CSTO activities, noting that “the more countries join the CSTO actions, the higher level of security we will ensure.”
President Serzh Sarkisian met with Bordyuzha on Wednesday following the foreign ministers meeting for further talks on how to boost overall cooperation among CSTO members.