Belarusian Parliament ratifies agreement on CSTO peacekeeping activities

At a meeting of the eighth session of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the seventh convocation the MPs ratified the protocol on amendments to the Agreement on Peacekeeping Activities of the Collective Security Treaty Organization of 6 October 2007, BelTA has learned.

The draft law "On Ratification of the Protocol on Amendments to the Agreement on Peacekeeping Activities of the Collective Security Treaty Organization of 6 October 2007" was submitted to the House of Representatives by the Council of Ministers on 4 March 2022.

"The bill has been prepared by the Defense Ministry," Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said, presenting the bill in the Oval Hall. “It expresses Belarus' consent to recognize as binding the Protocol on Amendments to the Agreement on Peacekeeping Activities of the Collective Security Treaty Organization of 6 October 2007 signed on 16 September 2021 in Dushanbe on the basis of Presidential Decree No. 151 "On a Draft International Treaty" of 16 April 2021.”

In accordance with Articles 19 and 20 of  Law  No. 421-Z "On International Treaties of the Republic of Belarus" of 23 July 2008, the ratification of an international treaty is carried out by the National Assembly in the form of a law.

“The Protocol introduces the amendments to the Agreement on Peacekeeping Activities of the Collective Security Treaty Organization of 6 October 2007 that clarify the mechanism for participation (involvement) of CSTO peacekeeping forces in peacekeeping operations conducted under the auspices of the United Nations, which will significantly expand the scope of their action in carrying out the tasks assigned to them to maintain international peace and security, and will also contribute to strengthening the image and authority of the CSTO internationally,” the minister noted.

According to him, the protocol introduces the term "coordinating state". "It is envisaged that for use in a UN peacekeeping operation peacekeeping forces are put together under the auspices of the coordinating state. The conditions for the participation of peacekeeping forces in a UN peacekeeping operation are defined in an agreement concluded by the coordinating state with the authorized UN unit," Viktor Khrenin emphasized.

"The amendments introduced by the protocol to the Agreement on Peacekeeping Activities of the Collective Security Treaty Organization of 6 October 2007 meet the national interests of the Republic of Belarus," the minister added.

The adoption of the law will not entail financial or economic, political and other implications for Belarus.