CSTO foreign chiefs agree on Syria, Iran

Foreign ministers with the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) have signed a joint declaration, outlining their common stand on the Syrian conflict and Iran’s nuclear program.

“CSTO foreign ministers have signed a statement on key international issues, summing up their stance on the Syrian crisis, Iranian nuclear program, Afghanistan, Nagorny-Karabakh settlement and other matters of concern,” Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.

He said a gather-up of CSTO foreign ministers and secretaries of local defense councils today looked into ways to boost common defenses and coordinate their peacekeeping efforts.

Mr. Lavrov pointed out that joint military exercises were becoming more regular between CSTO member states. This year, they are slated to run in Belarus, with CSTO peacekeeping troops drilling in Russia’s Chebarkul.

Lavrov also said officials had agreed to stick to decisions on Afghan settlement as stipulated in earlier agreements.