MOSCOW, November 8 (RIA Novosti) - The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is experiencing difficulties in establishing cooperation with NATO, a senior CSTO official said Tuesday.
"Unfortunately, NATO officials are not in a hurry to establish cooperation [with the CSTO] on the level of organizations, preferring bilateral relations with individual CSTO members," CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha told RIA Novosti.
According to the official, the CSTO and NATO have common interests in controlling the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the fight against international terrorism, drug-trafficking, and illegal migration.
The CSTO proposed opening a dialogue and establishing constructive cooperation more than a year ago. However, Bordyuzha said, "It seems there are forces in the alliance that are doing everything possible to prevent our cooperation."
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said Tuesday that issues related to the fight against terrorism and illicit drug trade concerned not only CSTO members but also countries in Central and Western Europe.
"So far, NATO and the CSTO have been acting on parallel courses, and we propose uniting our efforts," the diplomat said.
Unfortunately, "the alliance has not formed a consensus on cooperation with the CSTO, and its leadership is avoiding official contacts in that respect," he added.
The CSTO was registered in the UN as a regional international organization December 26, 2003. It comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.
