Combining the efforts of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and NATO would be a more efficient cooperation tool than the separate efforts of the U.S. and NATO on the one hand, and separate states, on the other, Alexander Sharavin, director of the Institute for Political and Military Analysis, said on Friday. He was speaking at the Valdai Club’s Defense and Security section meeting arranged by RIA Novosti, the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy (CFDP) and the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technology.
“Failure to recognize the CSTO is a serious mistake for the U.S., although its inclination to work with each (collective security) treaty member individually is understandable,” the expert added.
Ives Boyer, deputy director of the French Institute of International and Strategic Studies, noted in turn that “despite Russia’s CSTO membership, outside analysts have the feeling that Russia is isolated from the rest of the civilized world,” while “it is perfectly obvious that the core of European security is made up of the United Kingdom and France, with Germany, Italy and Poland actively involved.”
The first Valdai Club Defense and Security section meeting ended today with a discussion on “New Challenges – New Unions. From Ideological Alliances to Interest Coalitions.” Experts from ten countries – Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Belarus, Norway, Turkey, Germany, Poland and Japan – took part in the event.
The Valdai Discussion Club was established in 2004 by RIA Novosti, the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, The Moscow News, Russia in Global Affairs, and Russia Profile. The club is named after the location of its first meeting. The club was designed to develop and sustain a dialogue between Russian and foreign scientists, politicians, and journalists, and to promote the analysis of political, economic, and social issues affecting both Russia and the world.
