CSTO Secretary General: the organization is not ready to resist the hybrid impact

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is not fully prepared to counter the hybrid impact, declared Secretary General of the organization Stanislav Zas in an interview with the Belarusian TV channel ONT.

“Now there are different forms of hybrid influence: both purely military, and sanctions-economic, and informational, and political. This is what we are talking about when we talk about hybrid attacks. I would say that no, the CSTO is not fully prepared for this kind of counteraction now,” he said.

According to the CSTO Secretary General, there is an objective reason for this – the organization was created to repel exclusively military threats. At the same time, Zas stressed that the CSTO is transforming and expanding security to other areas, such as the threat of terrorism, drug trafficking, and crime, including in the IT field. “Yes, we are not ready yet, but we are moving towards this,” Zas summed up.

November 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin declaredthat there are problems in the work of the CSTO, but the organization helps to protect the sovereignty of member countries. “Of course, we see not only achievements, but also problems. But still, it is obvious to us that joint work within the framework of the CSTO brings visible practical results, helps to protect the national interests, sovereignty and independence of our countries, ”the Kremlin’s press service quoted the president as saying.