National Assembly Deputy Speaker Veroljub Arsic participated in the meeting of the Council of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, as an observer, on 6 November 2014, in Moscow, Russian Federation.
The meeting in the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation was chaired by the Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation and Speaker of the Russian Federation State Duma Sergei Naryshkin.
Sergei Naryshkin drew attention to the increased instability on the international level and the current task of setting up a new and just security and polycentric world order where rather than being in conflict the centres of power would cooperate and assist one another.
National Assembly Deputy Speaker Veroljub Arsic addressed the participants underlining Serbia’s strong support of CSTO’s key activity trends such as maintaining peace, international and regional security, respecting the independence and territorial integrity and sovereignty of the members states, developing multilateral political cooperation, opposing international terrorism and extremism, illegal trafficking in drugs, arms and other threats to human life and security. Arsic said that not joining the EU sanctions against Russia is aimed at finding long-term solutions by improving cooperation. Veroljub Arsic thanked the Russian Federation for its principled support of Serbia as regards the Kosovo-Metohija issue. He underlined the importance of Russian President Putin’s recent visit to Belgrade on the 70th anniversary of Belgrade’s liberation as an event that highlighted the importance of the common fight against fascism and an opportunity to improve overall and, especially, economic cooperation.
The participants of the CSTO PA Council meeting met with the Chairman of the Council of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, Russian President Vladimir Putin who was informed about the results of the CSTO PA Council regular meeting by CSTO PA Chairman and Speaker of the Russian Federation State Duma Sergei Naryshkin. Putin said that the Russian Federation is counting on the efficient work and support of all the political powers in the CSTO member states. Addressing Russian President Putin Deputy Speaker Arsic stressed that the relations between the Republic of Serbia and the Russian Federation are at a high level and continue to follow this upward trend. He underlined the importance of President Putin’s visit to Serbia saying that his presence at the military parade commemorating the liberation of Belgrade in WWII greatly contributed to the prevention of re-writing of the history of the world wars.
The CSTO PA Council meeting was attended by CSTO member states – Republic of Belarus, Republic of Armenia, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Russian Federation and the Republic of Tajikistan, and as observers the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Republic of Serbia.