Bishkek, Nov. 27, 2025. /Kabar/. Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) remains a strong and effective structure, despite external criticism. He made the comments on Wednesday, November 26, following a meeting of the CSTO defense ministers, where prospects for further cooperation were discussed.
Khrenin told reporters that the meeting allowed the participating countries to review the organization’s recent work and outline future steps.
“We agreed on a set of measures that were included in the cooperation plans between our defense ministries, and these plans have already been signed by all of us,” he said.
When asked by journalists about claims that the CSTO is losing its relevance, Khrenin dismissed such statements.
“That’s nonsense,” he said. “These are the words of short-sighted people. The CSTO has its strengths. In fact, in Kazakhstan in 2022, we demonstrated that we can respond rapidly to serious challenges aimed primarily at destabilizing a country from within.”