DUSHANBE, May 29, 2013, Asia-Plus -- An informal summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has taken place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

The presidents of Kazakhstan (Nursultan Nazarabyev), Kyrgyzstan (Almazbek Atambayev), Russia (Vladimir Putin) and Tajikistan (Emomali Rahmon) attended the one-day summit on May 28.

“The presidents discussed measures to be taken to minimize the negative impact of withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan in 2014,” CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha was quoted as saying by Russian media sources.

CSTO leaders reportedly also discussed measures to boost security at Tajik-Afghan border.

RIA Novosti quoted Nikolai Bordyuzha as saying, “The leaders of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) have agreed to reinforce the organization’s military capability and step up control at the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border ahead of the withdrawal of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) from Afghanistan next year.”

The summit participants reportedly also discussed measures to modernize the CSTO joint rapid-reaction forces, and joint efforts against extremism and illegal drug trafficking.

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon noted that it was important for the region to remain stable and safe after international forces withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

We will recall that Moscow’s envoy to Kabul Andrei Avetisyan told Reuters on may 16 that Russia, predicting instability once NATO-led troops withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of next year, is considering deploying border guards on the Tajik-Afghan border.  Avetisyan said such a presence would involve Russian border troops, but declined to give a number.  Avetisyan said any agreement on border troop deployment would “of course” have to be agreed upon with Tajikistan.

Russian border guards used to patrol the Tajik frontier with Afghanistan but left in 2005, ending a Soviet-era legacy and handing all power over to local authorities. 

Participants in the CSTO informal summit in Bishkek also considered the issue of possibility of the construction of a rail link that would connect Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.  “The presidents gave attention to this issue though it has not to do with the tasks of the Organization,” said CSTO Secretary General Nikolai.  “They agreed to order their relevant bodies to consider this issue in terms of expediency and economic and financial capability for implementation of this project.”

Earlier this week, some media sources reported that the probability that that railroad would further move on to Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and the Persian Gulf could be ruled out.   

The CSTO includes Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Belarus, and Armenia. Armenia''s Serzh Sargsyan and Belarus''s Alexander Lukashenko did not attend the summit.  The organizers explained their absence by saying the summit focused on Central Asian issues only.

The regional security organization was initially set up in 1992 in a meeting in Tashkent and Uzbekistan once already suspended its membership in 1999.  However, Tashkent returned to the CSTO again in 2006 The regional security organization was initially formed in 1992 for a five-year period by the members of the CIS Collective Security Treaty (CST) -- Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, which were joined by Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Belarus the following year.  A 1994 treaty reaffirmed the desire of all participating states to abstain from the use or threat of force, and prevented signatories from joining any “other military alliances or other groups of states” directed against members states.  The CST was then extended for another five-year term in April 1999, and was signed by the presidents of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.  In October 2002, the group was renamed as the CSTO.  Uzbekistan that suspended its membership in 1999 returned to the CSTO again in 2006 after it came under international criticism for its brutal crackdown of antigovernment demonstrations in the eastern city of Andijon in May 2005.  On June 28, 2012, Uzbekistan announced that it has suspended its membership of the CSTO, saying the organization ignores Uzbekistan and does not consider its views.  The CSTO is currently an observer organization at the United Nations General Assembly.