MULTILATERAL ORGANISATION
8 SEPTEMBER 2025
- Founded: 1992 (Treaty signed after the breakup of the USSR; came into force in 1994).
- Headquarters: Moscow, Russia.
- Members (6):
- Russia
- Armenia
- Belarus
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Tajikistan
- Former Members: Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Uzbekistan (they left at different times).
- Purpose:
- Regional security alliance (like NATO, but Russia-led).
- Based on the principle of collective defence – if one member is attacked, others may assist.
- Focuses on:
- Military cooperation
- Joint exercises
- Border security
- Counter-terrorism
- CSTO intervened in crises, e.g., in Kazakhstan (January 2022) to help stabilize protests.
Armenia has recently criticized CSTO for not providing enough support in its conflict with Azerbaijan.
