NATO is trying to back the seizure of power by pro-Western regimes in some countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), Rashid Nurgaliyev, deputy secretary of the Russian Security Council, told the Russian daily Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
“It’s not a secret for us that NATO is paving the way for the West-controlled regimes seizing power in a number of CSTO countries, including by provoking “colour revolutions”, Nurgaliyev pointed out.
At the same time, he underscored that CSTO member states remain ready for fruitful cooperation with NATO members.
“We have an array of issues to discuss, including those related to illegal migration and the fight against terrorism. In our globalised and closely interconnected world, we would be interested in resuming the Russia-NATO dialogue,” Nurgaliyev stressed, adding that it would only be possible on an “equal basis”.
He also noted that third countries’ cooperation with NATO always has “an anti-Russian component”.
“This has been confirmed many times by practice. With respect to its CSTO partners, NATO’s purpose is to sow discord among our allies in the organisation”, Nurgaliyev concluded.
The CSTO is an international military alliance aimed at improving security cooperation between the member states. The organisation includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. Its key goal is to fight against international terrorism and other security threats.
The CSTO alliance was established on the basis of the Collective Security Treaty, signed by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member states on 15 May 1992.
The term “colour revolution” is widely used to describe the Western-backed regime changes which took place in some countries of the former Soviet Union and the Balkans during the 2000s, including Ukraine's 'Orange revolution', Georgia's 'Rose revolution', Serbia's 'Bulldozer revolution' and Kyrgyzstan's 'Tulip revolution'.
The term has also been used to describe a spate of political upheavals elsewhere, including the Middle East.