Lavrov Links Middle East Crisis to Potential Impact on CSTO Region

(MENAFN) Sergey Lavrov warned on Monday that the ongoing crisis in the Middle East is likely to have consequences for the region covered by the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), according to state news agency reports.

Speaking at a meeting of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly Council in Moscow, he referenced ongoing tensions in places such as Afghanistan, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine, arguing that external actors are contributing to instability in the region.

He said that those he described as “supporting chaos” in the Middle East are working to deepen divisions within the Islamic world, adding: “There is no doubt that those trying to maintain this chaos have as one of their key goals the deepening of divisions in the Islamic world.”

Lavrov suggested that the CSTO—an organization made up largely of countries with significant Muslim populations—should factor these dynamics into its policy planning and operational programs.

He also raised broader concerns about security trends across Eurasia, warning of increasing risks posed by forces he said aim to assert global dominance through conflict and pressure tactics.

“Anyone closely following recent developments will see that threats in Eurasia are increasing significantly. This requires additional efforts from us,” he said.

He further described the CSTO as a potential foundational element in what he called an emerging system of “equal and indivisible security” across Eurasia.

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