Kyrgyzstan hosts CSTO Summit in its capital, Bishkek

(MENAFN) Kyrgyzstan hosted a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on Thursday in its capital, Bishkek, bringing together most heads of state from the military alliance. Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the meetings as part of a three-day state visit that began Tuesday.

Armenia was the only member absent, having suspended its participation in CSTO activities in 2024 over dissatisfaction with the alliance’s handling of its security concerns. Ahead of the main summit, CSTO foreign ministers, defense ministers, and security council secretaries convened for preparatory discussions.

Following the summit, the member states signed 16 agreements, including a declaration from the Collective Security Council and a joint statement addressing drug trafficking, according to official statements from Moscow.

The meetings were held under Kyrgyzstan’s chairmanship of the alliance, with Russia set to assume leadership starting January 1, 2026. Established in 2002, the CSTO is a military alliance comprising Russia and the former Soviet republics of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

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