WNAM REPORT: A Russian lawmaker has suggested that the issue of admitting Iran to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a post-Soviet Russia-led security block, be looked at.
Andrey Kartapolov, chairman of the defense committee of Russia’s State Duma, or lower parliament house, recalled that a delegation from Iran had already participated in a meeting of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, as reported.
“I think that the issue of Iran’s potential membership in the CSTO should be looked at in a more concrete way. Why not, after all? [The CSTO] is not a private club,” he said in an interview with the Rossiya-1 television channel.
Under the CSTO charter, any country sharing its goals and principles and ready to undertake commitments may seek membership in the organization. A decision to this effect is made by the Collective Security Council.
