The Collective Security Treaty Organisation is the post-Soviet military alliance, founded by treaty in 1992 and reorganised under its current name in 2002. The CSTO operates as a mutual-defence pact among its member states, with provisions analogous to NATO's Article 5.
At a glance
- Founded: 2002 (CSTO Charter signed in Tashkent, 7 October 2002 (built on the 1992 Collective Security Treaty))
- Headquarters: Moscow, Russia
- Official languages: Russian
- Website: en.odkb-csto.org
Mission
The CSTO's mission is to ensure the collective security of its members through political and military means. Article 4 of the founding treaty commits members to provide collective assistance against external aggression; the alliance also coordinates joint exercises, peacekeeping deployments, and counter-terrorism cooperation.
Structure
The Collective Security Council of heads of state is the supreme body. The Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Council of Defence Ministers, and the Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils handle policy in their respective areas. The Joint Staff coordinates military planning. The Secretariat in Moscow handles operations.
Member states
CSTO has 6 member states. Membership current as of 2024-01.
Key facts
- CSTO peacekeeping forces deployed publicly for the first time in January 2022, when troops were sent to Kazakhstan during civil unrest — the first operational mission in the alliance's thirty-year history.
- Armenia announced in 2024 that it had effectively suspended its participation following dissatisfaction with the alliance's response to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict; full withdrawal proceedings have begun.
- Uzbekistan was a founding member, withdrew in 1999, rejoined in 2006, and withdrew again in 2012.
- Azerbaijan and Georgia were both founding signatories of the 1992 treaty but did not renew their membership when the treaty expired in 1999.
- The CSTO has held annual joint military exercises since 2003 under names like "Indestructible Brotherhood" and "Combat Commonwealth".
Historic milestones
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1992 | Collective Security Treaty signed in Tashkent |
| 1999 | Uzbekistan, Georgia, and Azerbaijan decline to renew |
| 2002 | CSTO Charter signed; alliance formally founded |
| 2022 | First operational deployment (Kazakhstan) |
| 2024 | Armenia begins withdrawal proceedings |
