The States Parties to the Treaty on Collective Security of 15 May 1992 (hereinafter — "the Treaty"),

Acting in strict accordance with their obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and the decisions of the United Nations Security Council, and guided by the universally recognized principles of international law,

Seeking to establish favourable and stable conditions for the full development of the States Parties to the Treaty and to ensure their security, sovereignty and territorial integrity,

Reaffirming their commitment to the purposes and principles of the Treaty and the international agreements and decisions adopted within its framework,

Determined further to develop and intensify their military and political cooperation in the interests of ensuring and strengthening national, regional and international security,

Setting themselves the objective of maintaining and nurturing a close and comprehensive alliance in the foreign policy, military and military technology fields and in the sphere of countering transnational challenges and threats to the security of States and peoples,

Guided by their intention to enhance the effectiveness of their activities within the framework of the Treaty,

Have agreed on the following:

The States Parties to the Treaty hereby establish the international regional Organization of the Treaty on Collective Security (hereinafter — "the Organization").

The provisions of the Treaty and of international agreements and decisions by the Council on Collective Security of the Treaty adopted in the interests of the Treaty's further development shall be binding on the member States of the Organization (hereinafter — "the member States") and on the Organization itself.

The purposes of the Organization are to strengthen peace and international and regional security and stability and to ensure the collective defence of the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the member States, in the attainment of which the member States shall give priority to political measures.

In its activities the Organization shall cooperate with States which are not members of the Organization and shall maintain relations with international intergovernmental organizations which are active in the field of security. The Organization shall promote the formation of a just and democratic world order based on the universally recognized principles of international law.

The Organization shall operate on the basis of strict respect for the independence, voluntary participation and equality of rights and obligations of the member States and non-interference in matters falling within the national jurisdiction of the member States.

This Charter shall not affect the rights and obligations of the member States under other international agreements to which they are party.

In order to attain the purposes of the Organization, the member States shall take joint measures to organize within its framework an effective collective security system, to establish coalition (regional) groupings of forces and the corresponding administrative bodies and create a military infrastructure, to train military staff and specialists for the armed forces and to furnish the latter with the necessary arms and military technology.

The member States shall adopt a decision on the stationing of groupings of forces in their territories and of military facilities of States which are not members of the Organization after holding urgent consultations (reaching agreement) with the other member States.

The member States shall coordinate and harmonize their efforts in combating international terrorism and extremism, the illicit traffic in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and arms, organized transnational crime, illegal migration and other threats to the security of the member States.

The member States shall carry out activities in these areas in close cooperation with all interested States and international intergovernmental organizations, and primarily under the auspices of the United Nations.

The member States shall agree upon and coordinate their foreign policy positions regarding international and regional security problems, using, inter alia, the consultation mechanisms and procedures of the Organization.

The member States shall take measures to develop a treaty-law base that will govern the functioning of the collective security system and to harmonize national legislation relating to questions of defence, military construction and security.

The organs of the Organization shall be:

(a)The Council on Collective Security (hereinafter — "the Council");

(b)The Council of Ministers for Foreign Affairs;

(c)The Council of Ministers of Defence;

(d)The Committee of Secretaries of the Security Council.

The permanent working organ of the Organization shall be the Secretariat of the Organization (hereinafter — "the Secretariat").

The functions and working procedures of the organs indicated above shall be governed by this Charter and by separate Regulations adopted by the Council.

Decisions of the Council, the Council of Ministers for Foreign Affairs, the Council of Ministers of Defence and the Committee of Secretaries of the Security Councils concerning issues other than procedural questions shall be taken by consensus.

Each member State shall have one vote. The voting procedure, including that relating to procedural questions, shall be governed by the Rules of Procedure of the organs of the Organization, as approved by the Council.

The decisions of the Council and decisions by the Council of Ministers for Foreign Affairs, the Council of Ministers of Defence and the Committee of Secretaries of the Security Councils for the implementation of Council decisions shall be binding on the member States and shall be implemented according to the procedures established by national legislation.

The Council shall be the highest organ of the Organization.

The Council shall consider the main questions concerning the activities of the Organization, shall take decisions aimed at achieving its objectives and purposes and shall ensure coordination and joint action between member States for the achievement of those objectives.

The Council shall consist of the Heads of the member States.

The Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Ministers of Defence and Secretaries of the Security Councils of the member States, the Secretary-General of the Organization, plenipotentiary representatives of the member States to the Organization and invited persons may attend meetings of the Council.

The Council shall have the power to establish permanent or temporary working and subsidiary bodies of the Organization.

The Chairman of the Council (hereinafter — "the Chairman") shall be the Head of the State in the territory of which the current session of the Council is taking place, unless the Council decides otherwise. He shall retain his rights and obligations for the period until the next regular session of the Council.

If the Chairman is unable to perform his functions, a new Chairman shall be elected for the remaining period.

During the periods between sessions of the Council, questions of the coordination of the joint activities of member States in implementing the decisions taken by the organs of the Organization shall be taken up by the Permanent Council of the Organization (hereinafter — "the Permanent Council").

The Permanent Council shall consist of plenipotentiary representatives (hereinafter — "Plenipotentiaries") appointed by the member States in accordance with their domestic procedures and shall operate in accordance with the Regulations adopted by the Council.

The Council of Ministers for Foreign Affairs shall act as the Organization's advisory and executive organ on questions of the coordination of the joint activities of the member States in the field of foreign policy.

The Council of Ministers of Defence shall act as the Organization's advisory and executive organ on questions of the coordination of the joint activities of member States in military policy, military structures and cooperation in military technology.

The Committee of Secretaries of the Security Councils shall act as the Organization's advisory and executive organ on questions of the coordination of the joint activities of member States in the provision of their national security.

The Secretariat shall provide organizational, information, analytical and advisory services for the activities of the organs of the Organization.

Jointly with the Permanent Council, the Secretariat shall carry out the preparation of draft decisions and other documents of the organs of the Organization The Secretariat shall be composed of nationals of the member States (officials) according to a quota based on the proportion of a member State's contribution to the Organization's budget, and nationals of the member States (employees) appointed under contract on a competitive basis.

The functions, establishment conditions and duties of the Secretariat shall be defined by the relevant Regulations adopted by the Council.

The Secretariat shall be located in Moscow, Russian Federation. The conditions of the Secretariat's presence in the territory of the Russian Federation shall be governed by the corresponding international agreement.

The Secretary-General of the Organization (hereinafter — "the Secretary-General") shall be the highest administrative official of the Organization and shall be the head of the Secretariat.

The Secretary-General shall be appointed by decision of the Council for a period of three years, on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers for Foreign Affairs, from among the nationals of the member States.

The Secretary-General shall be answerable to the Council and shall participate in the meetings of the Council, the Council of Ministers for Foreign Affairs, the Council of Ministers of Defence, the Committee of Secretaries of the Security Councils and the Permanent Council.

The Secretary-General shall, in accordance with Council decisions, coordinate the preparation of the relevant draft proposals and documents of the organs of the Organization and maintain working contacts with other international intergovernmental organizations and with States which are not members of the Organization.

The Secretary-General shall be the depositary of this Charter, of other international agreements concluded within the framework of the Organization and of instruments that are adopted.

Membership of the Organization is open to any State which shares its purposes and principles and is prepared to undertake the obligations set forth in this Charter and other international treaties and decisions which are in effect within the framework of the Organization.

Decisions on admission to the Organization shall be adopted by the Council.

Any member State may withdraw from the Organization. After settling its obligations within the Organization, such State shall send to the depositary of the Charter official notification of its withdrawal no later than six months before the date of withdrawal.

The procedure for admission to and withdrawal from the Organization shall be determined by the relevant provisions of the Regulations adopted by the Council.

In the event of non-fulfilment by a member State of the provisions of this Charter, decisions of the Council or decisions of other organs of the Organization which have been adopted for implementation, the Council may suspend its participation in the work of the organs of the Organization.

In the event of persistent non-fulfilment of the above-mentioned obligations by a member State, the Council may take a decision to expel such State from the Organization.

Decisions on such matters in relation to a member State shall be taken without counting its vote.

The procedure for suspension of the participation of a member State in the work of the organs of the Organization or its expulsion from the Organization shall be determined by the Regulations adopted by the Council.

Observer status to the Organization may be granted to States which are not members of the Organization and also to international organizations on the basis of an official written application addressed to the Secretary-General. Decisions on granting, suspending or terminating observer status shall be taken by the Council.

The participation of observers in sessions and meetings of organs of the Organization shall be governed by the Rules of Procedure of the Organization.

The Organization shall enjoy in the territory of each member State such legal capacity as is necessary for the exercise of its functions and the fulfilment of its purposes.

The Organization may cooperate with States which are not members, maintain relations with international intergovernmental organizations which are active in the field of security, and conclude with them international agreements for the establishment and development of such cooperation.

The Organization shall possess juridical personality.

The privileges and immunities of the Organization shall be determined by the corresponding international treaty.

The work of the Secretariat shall be financed from the budget of the Organization.

The budget of the Organization shall consist of assessed contributions from member States approved by the Council.

The budget of the Organization may not have a deficit.

The draft budget of the Organization for each budgetary year shall be drawn up by the Secretariat in agreement with the member States in accordance with the Regulations on the procedure for the formation and implementation of the budget of the Organization. The budget of the Organization shall be approved by the Council.

The Regulations on the procedure for the formation and implementation of the budget of the Organization shall be approved by the Council.

Each member State shall bear the expenses associated with the participation of its representatives and experts at conferences and meetings of the organs of the Organization and in other activities carried out within the Organization, and also the expenses associated with the activity of its Plenipotentiaries.

In the event that a member State fails for two years to meet its obligation to pay its dues to the budget of the Organization, the Council shall take a decision regarding suspension of the right to nominate nationals of that State for quota posts in the Organization, and also regarding termination of the right to vote in organs of the Organization until the dues are paid in full.

This Charter is subject to ratification and shall enter into force on the date of deposit with the depositary of the last written notification of ratification by the signatory States.

The depositary shall notify the States which have signed this Charter of the receipt of each notification of ratification.

With the general consent of the member States, amendments and additions may be made to this Charter, and shall be drawn up in separate protocols.

Protocols on amendments and additions to the Charter shall form an integral part thereof and shall enter into force in accordance with the provisions of article 26 of this Charter.

Reservations to the Charter are not permitted.

Any disputes regarding the interpretation or application of the provisions of this Charter shall be resolved through consultations and negotiations between the member States concerned. In the event that agreement cannot be achieved, disputes shall be referred to the Council for consideration.

The official and working language of the Organization shall be Russian.

This Charter shall be registered with the United Nations Secretariat in accordance with the provisions of Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations.

Done at Chisinau on 7 October 2002, in a single original in the Russian language. The single original shall be kept by the depositary, which shall send a certified copy thereof to each State which has signed this Charter.