In brief

• Lukashenko has travelled to Russia for a CSTO Collective Security Council session planned for November 11 in Moscow.
• A bilateral meeting with Vladimir Putin was also scheduled, and around twenty documents are expected to be signed.
• The agenda includes a proposal to strip Armenia of its voting right in the organization.

Lukashenko heads to Moscow ahead of CSTO summit

Alexander Lukashenko has left for a working visit to Russia, according to his press service (Лукашенко улетел в Россию на встречу с Путиным – Reform.news). The stated purpose is the session of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which is set to take place on November 11. On the day of his departure, Lukashenko was also due to hold a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Agenda and expected documents

The session is expected to review the organization's work and current problems of international and regional security, with a focus on collective security across the Eurasian space. Around twenty documents are expected to be signed, including a final declaration and an anti-terrorism strategy running to 2030 (Путин проведет сессию Совета коллективной безопасности ОДКБ – vedomosti.ru). Kazakh media report that the chairmanship of the organization will pass from Russia to Tajikistan from January 1, 2027 (Токаев направится в Москву 11 ноября – azh.kz).

Armenia's status

The agenda also includes a proposal to strip Armenia of its voting right within the CSTO. Armenia has frozen its participation in the organization's work since February 2024. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is reported to be skipping the summit.

Context

The talks in Moscow take place on the same days as negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the United States, which are scheduled for Abu Dhabi. Russian state-linked media describe the summit as a central event of the week and place it alongside a planned Putin meeting with members of the Russian Security Council.

The CSTO comprises Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Armenia, the last of which has suspended its involvement.