DUSHANBE , June 26, Asia -Plus - Uzbekistan has lifted its moratorium on active work within the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO; Armenia , Belarus , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Russia , and Tajikistan ) and is now a fully-fledged member of the organization, Tajikistan ’s presidential press service reported.

The CSTO Council made a formal decision on that score at its summit in Minsk on June 23.  The original will be kept at the organization’s Secretariat, which will send a certified copy to each member-country.

Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov telling the CSTO summit said that having joined the Eurasian Economic Community Uzbekistan decided not to stop halfway and to join the CSTO, too.  “We were obliged to raise the question of CSTO membership also because Uzbekistan cannot stop halfway and participate only in the EAEC (Eurasian Economic Community),” Karimov said at the summit. “These are two inter-related structures addressing tasks all of their member-countries are faced with.  Besides, there is one more factor – changes in globalization and the system of international relations,” he said.

“The return (to the CSTO) is a major event for us,” Karimov said.  Karimov thanked the other CSTO members for giving his country a chance to participate in the organization’s activities.

The CSTO summit discuss the security grouping''s priorities and how to increase its effectiveness.  The CSTO summit focused on discussing sweeping reforms of the regional security organization and set priorities for future activities as well as forming of joint rapid reaction forces.  The meeting participants also discussed mechanisms of peacekeeping activity of member nations of the Organization. 

In 1992 Uzbekistan and five other former Soviet republics – Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan signed a Collective Security Treaty. Belarus joined in a short while later.  However, in 1999 Uzbekistan said it would prolong the treaty only after “coordination on special terms.”  In May 2002 the collective security treaty was transformed into an international organization.  The CSTO’s main goal is to maintain the national security and territorial integrity of each member-country. In case of a threat to any single participant all other CST signatories are obliged to provide the necessary assistance, including military one.

On the same day, a summit of the Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC) was held in Minsk.  The summit reviewed the organization''s economic policy, the establishment of a customs union and adopt a document on bolstering of EAEC''s positions on the international arena.  The main focus was on the establishment of a customs union, and the participants also discussed proposals on several budget issues and the accession of EAEC member countries to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov telling the EAEC summit noted that the Community that had gained a firm hold as promising integrating organization had practically entered an important stage of being transformed into mature integrating organization of full value of modern type.  To achieve this goal “it is necessary to take a series of organic measures, acts and actions,” according to him.  

“The most important is an opportune and complete fulfillment by all member nations of their obligations,” said Rahmonov, “I mean, first of all, Uzbekistan, which under the January resolution by leaders of the EAEC should join 20 agreements and documents immediately.  It has not to date joined four documents, two of which concern visa-free travels of citizens of our countries and are of important significance for Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan…”  Leader of Tajikistan noted that the EAEC member nations were behind by approved parameters of priorities and main directions and general strategy of integration interaction.  “It concerns, first of all, the establishment of a customs union.  We have to take concrete measures in the shortest possible time to complete laying a legal foundation of this union as well as of concerted policy on the EAEC member nations’ joining the WTO.” 

According to Rahmonov, the EAEC member countries also should pay attention to tackling environmental problems, “in particular resolution of a problem of rehabilitation of territories that had been affected by effects of the uranium production activities.”  The Tajik president proposed to work out an interstate program on rehabilitation of such territories with aid of international organizations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).  

  On the sidelines of the CSTO and the EAEC summits in Minsk, President Rahmonov held a meeting with his Belarus counterpart Aleksandr Lukashenko.  In the course of the talks the two discussed state and prospects of further expansion of economic cooperation between Tajikistan and Belarus.  During the meeting it was noted that compared to January-May 2005 a trade turnover between the two countries has increased by 90 percent over the fist five months of this year.   

According to figures provided by Tajikistan’s State Committee for Statistics, the trade turnover between Tajikistan and Belarus has amounted to US$11.282 million in January-May this year, which is over US$10 million more compared to the same period of 2005.