Seven member countries at the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on Monday rejected any military intervention in Syria, calling for resolving the crisis in the country through peaceful, political ways.

Following CSTO meeting held in Sochi, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a press conference that the member countries reached consensus that the settlement of the crisis in Syria is possible through peaceful means, adding that any external military act against it will be a flagrant violation of the international law.

"Such Scenario could lead to destabilizing the situation in Syria and the whole region," President Putin said. He called for seizing all available opportunities to ease violence in Syria and launch dialogue between the Syrian government and opposition.



For their part, the member countries appreciated the Russian efforts to resolve the crisis through peaceful, diplomatic means, supporting the Russian-US initiatives made on September 14th on the chemical weapons in Syria.

They also expressed support to the efforts exerted to overcome the crisis in Syria through the Syrians by keeping the country's sovereignty.

Earlier, Putin warned that the spread of terrorism in troubled countries like Syria constitutes a real threat to the member countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

During a meeting of the CSTO council, Putin said that gangs currently active in troubled countries didn't appear out of nothingness and that they won't simply disappear into nothingness, stressing that the spread of terrorism across countries is a very real issue that can affect any CSTO member country.

He stressed that the CSTO cannot ignore the crisis in Syria which is a crucial issue, stressing the need for member countries to formulate a joint position on resolving the crisis in Syria.

Lavrov: CSTO supports efforts for solving the crisis in Syria

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) supports the international community's efforts exerted for solving the crisis in Syria.

During the opening session of the Organization's Foreign Ministers' member states meeting in the Russian city of Sochi on Monday, Lavrov added "We are concerned over the situation in Syria, not only in light of its repercussions on the whole region, but also due to its aftermath on the international laws system."

In his speech, the Russian foreign Minister reiterated the necessity of working for accelerating the solution, starting dialogue and solving the chemical weapon's issue, expressing confidence in the ability of supporting the international community's efforts on Syria.

Earlier, Lavrov in a phone call with his US counterpart, John Kerry, discussed means of implementing the Russian-US agreement on placing the Syrian chemical weapons under the international control.

The CSTO includes Russia, Armenia, Belorussia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia, and Tajikistan.

Russian Duma: Open-discussion meeting on Syria Tuesday

Meanwhile, the Communications and Mass Media Department at the Russian State Duma announced that the council is holding an open-discussion meeting tomorrow on the situation in Syria.

In a statement issued Monday, the Department said the Duma Chairman Sergei Naryshkin will take part in the meeting, adding that the Russian Foreign Ministry representatives and political experts are also invited to participate.

The State Duma had earlier issued a statement on the crisis in Syria in which it urged the international community to prevent a military aggression on the country and stressed that the crisis can only be solved in the framework of the intended international conference in Geneva.

Russian Foreign Ministry: Rise in terrorist acts in Iraq directly linked to Syria events

The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the successive terrorist attacks in Iraq, pointing to a connection between them and the events unfolding in Syria.

The ministry said in a statement Monday that ''what raises concern is the fact that the intensifying terrorist activism in Iraq is directly linked to the events in neighboring Syria,'' indicating that the armed groups in the region, including those with connections with al-Qaeda, are clearly interlocked.

Belarus President: Minsk works unanimously with Russia and CSTO member states on Syria

The Belarusian President, Alexander Lukashenko said his country backs the foreign policy of Russia and other member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on the key issues related to international security, including Syria.

Lukashenko was speaking in a meeting of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in Russia's Sochi on Monday.

''On Syria, we are working unanimously with Russia and our key strategic allies in friendly republics…there are no differences between us at all, nor are there differences with the CSTO member states.''

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is an international regional organization which includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The Collective Security Treaty was signed in 1992 and the Organization was established in 2003