Coordination in addressing common challenges was a key topic discussed at the 14th Meeting of Secretaries of the Security Councils of CIS member states, recently held in Moscow, Russia, reflecting the need to establish more practical coordination mechanisms to safeguard stability and the strategic interests of the entire region.
The meeting took place amid intensifying geopolitical competition, with the risks of conflict, terrorism, transnational crime, and cyber security becoming increasingly intertwined, placing countries across the post-Soviet space under new security pressures.
In a message to the delegates attending the meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on national security agencies to enhance their capacity to analyse and forecast domestic and international developments, while strengthening cooperation to address common challenges, ensure the security and sovereignty of each member state, and contribute to maintaining stability within the CIS.
The Russian leader expressed confidence that the meeting would achieve substantive results and that the proposals and recommendations put forward would help further expand multilateral cooperation among member states in the coming period.
The Russian leader’s message highlighted the need to change the approach to regional security in order to adapt to realities on the ground. Accordingly, rather than focusing solely on dealing with threats after they emerge, countries need to pay greater attention to their capacity to identify risks at an early stage, anticipate potential threats, and prevent crises. In an environment where developments in one country can quickly affect its neighbours, information sharing and joint assessments of the situation are particularly important.
Facing growing security threats across a range of areas, from terrorism, extremism, and organised crime to the trafficking and illegal possession of drugs and weapons, as well as challenges associated with the development of information and communications technology, CIS countries need not only to strengthen cooperation within the bloc but also to expand it beyond the region.
According to Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu, Russia has proposed establishing reserve funds within the framework of the BRICS group of emerging economies and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to support people in member states in emergency situations. Shoigu also drew attention to security in Central Asia, emphasising the importance of cooperation with the current authorities in Afghanistan to reduce risks to regional stability.
Central Asia holds a particularly strategic position in relation to the security of the CIS space. The region lies close to Afghanistan, where the political, security, and economic situation continues to harbour numerous sources of instability. Threats posed by terrorist organisations, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and criminal networks can spread along trade routes and transnational transport corridors, while high-tech crime can have consequences extending beyond national borders.
Therefore, stability in Afghanistan is not merely an internal matter for that country but is also directly linked to the security interests of Central Asian states. In this context, security cooperation within the CIS needs to be placed in a broader coordination framework that goes beyond traditional information exchange, moving towards early-warning mechanisms, data sharing on cross-border threats, coordinated investigations, and enhanced capacity to protect critical information systems.
Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, and connecting numerous strategic transport, trade, and energy routes, the CIS space plays an important role in regional security. Maintaining stability across the region will help limit the risk of conflicts, terrorist activities, and transnational crime spreading further. Strengthening border controls and coordinating efforts to combat extremist networks in Central Asia will help prevent threats from spreading to neighbouring regions, including South Asia and the Middle East.
Effective security cooperation will also create a more favourable environment for economic development, trade, and regional connectivity. Given its strategic interests, the CIS is continuing to play an important role as a forum for promoting security coordination across the post-Soviet space, making a more practical contribution to peace, stability, and cooperation in the Eurasian region.
