MOSCOW. Feb 20 (Interfax) - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has met with the Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Imangali Tasmagambetov, the ministry said on Monday.
"The meeting focused on pressing issues relating to the development of the military component of the organization and perfecting its force potential," it said in a statement.
Shoigu congratulated Tasmagambetov on his appointment to the position. "I hope your colossal experience as a statesman of national scale, and now of international scale, including as defense minister, during which time you did a great deal for the formation of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan," Shoigu said.
He expressed hope that Tasmagambetov's experience will serve to strengthen the CSTO authority both on the international stage and within each member state.
The latter informed of his meeting last week with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who chairs the Collective Security Council. "First of all, we signed a plan of measures to implement the Collective Security Council's resolutions: November's decisions of last year," Tasmagambetov said.
Tasmagambetov was appointed CSTO Secretary General from January 1, 2023 for a three-year term.