MOSCOW. Nov 25 (Interfax) - NATO has been avoiding cooperation with the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) because the United States fears that Russia's position in Central Asia could grow stronger.
"The information available to us, as well as information leaked to the media, including through WikiLeaks, indicates that the main reason is the U.S. stance. Americans view the CSTO as an organization allegedly set up by Russia to promote its own interests. That is why by cooperating with the CSTO, they will allegedly help Russia reinforce its positions, including in Central Asia," Russia's envoy to the CSTO Igor Lyakin-Frolov told Interfax.
Americans' refusal to cooperate with the CSTO harms the U.S. itself, he said.
"Evidently, Americans have agreed to sacrifice the advantages they could gain from cooperation with the CSTO, primarily in the Afghan direction, for the sake of arguments that resemble Cold War-era arguments," the Russian diplomat said,
The CSTO includes Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.