DUSHANBE, March 18, Asia-Plus  -- The first session of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Coordinating Council on Emergencies (CCE) has opened in Moscow.

The ministers of emergencies from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Uzbekistan are attending the session.  The Head of the Committee for Emergency Situations (CES) Khaybullo Latipov is representing Tajikistan, an official with the CES press center told Asia-Plus.  

He pointed out that this is the first CCE meeting in such a format.  Participants in the session are discussing the main aspects of activities to form a system for the CSTO collective reactions to both natural and man-made emergencies.  

A decision to set up a CCE was taken at a session of the CSTO Collective Security Council in Dushanbe in October 2007. The main tasks of the CCE are to coordinate interaction among the ministries and departments of the CSTO countries in matters aimed at preventing and eliminating the aftermath of emergencies.