CSTO Secretary General about political crisis in Belarus: We are ready to be of help
The Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) has no intention to meddle in Belarus’ affairs, but it is ready to lend a helping hand to the country if such a need arises, news agency Interfax reports with reference to Secretary General Stanislau Zas.
According to him, it is premature to say that the political crisis in Belarus has already been over.
“A very inportant issue, i.e. achieving public consent and national unity, is yet to be tackled,” Stanislau Zas said.
Belarus must solve the current domestic problems on its own, he believes. “The CSTO has never intervened and is not going to interfere in this process. Of course, our organisation is ready to provide all possible assistance to the Belarusian side if necessary,” Secretary General added.
Alyaksandr Lukashenka claims that the long-term mass protests in Belarus were triggered by ‘external interference’, he has repeatedly urged the CSTO to pay attention to the situation in Belarus.
“When it comes to the military component, we have an agreement with the Russian Federation within the Union State and the CSTO. And these moments [the current developments in Belarus] fall under the agreement,” he said in mid August, in the wake of 2020 presidential vote.
During the session of the CSTO Collective Security Council in December, Lukashenka called on the leaders of the member states to unite forces and ‘resist the pressure from outside’.
