CSTO Criticizes Georgia over S.Ossetia

Leaders from Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states supported Russia’s “active role in facilitating peace and cooperation” in the region and criticized Georgia’s “attempts to resolve South Ossetian conflict through use of force.”

CSTO unites seven CIS countries – Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

In a final declaration of the meeting of the Presidents of CSTO-member states in Moscow on September 5, the group said nothing about Russia’s decision to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

“All of our partners in CSTO will decided on the matter individually – as it should be – based on common principles and norms of international law and guided by their national interests,” RIA Novosti quoted Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian President, as saying after the meeting.