Armenia insists on retaining CSTO chief’s positionNovember 16, 2018 - 16:28 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Acting Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan has said in an interview with TASS that Armenia should retain the post of Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). According to him, the country has good human resources. The CSTO Collective Security Council relieved Armenia’s Yuri Khachaturov of his duties as the organization’s secretary general in late October. On July 26, Armenia’s Special Investigative Service accused Khachaturov of overthrowing the constitutional order in 2008 and requested his arrest. Khachaturov, who was the Commander of the Armenian Armed Forces’ Yerevan Garrison back in 2008, pleaded not guilty. On July 28, the Yerevan City Court of General Jurisdiction released him on his own recognizance and a bail of about $10,000. Mnatsakanyan said the organization’s regulatory framework does not provide for any specific solutions to resolve issues related to the impossibility of implementing the duties of the CSTO Secretary General. The acting Foreign Minister added that decisions within the CSTO are reached by consensus, and that the authority, viability and efficiency of the organization are of utmost importance for Armenia. “As a CSTO member, we are interested in having a strong organization and contribute to this matter,” he said. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said at a session of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization on November 7 that Minsk should appoint the next Secretary General of the organization. Nazarbayev told reporters after the session that all the heads of CSTO member states have said that a representative of Belarus should be the Secretary General. Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | European Parliament to discuss repression in Azerbaijan The European Parliament will discuss repression of civil society in Azerbaijan on April 24 PACE wants concessions from Azerbaijan to accept Baku back A PACE co-rapporteur said that Azerbaijani authorities must make certain concessions so that the country can return to PACE. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham). |