Armenia: Pashinyan says issue of new CSTO chief is "non-essential"November 30, 2018 - 12:31 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The issue of electing a new Secretary General for the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is not the most essential one, acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told a campaign rally in Sevan on Thursday, November 29. “The issue of the CSTO Secretary General is a very small and non-essential one. Questions discussed in that context are more important. We will constantly defend the interests of Armenia and Artsakh,” Pashinyan said. He said Armenia has not damaged relations with any of the CSTO member states but has instead noted "the bad and discredited situation it has inherited in this establishment and not only.” “Unlike previous authorities we are not going to remain silent and put up with the situation," the acting PM told supporters. "We prioritize the specification of our commitments in the CSTO before our allies and theirs before us. We raise these issues for developing relations with our partners. If we do not address the existing issues, the situation will deteriorate paving the way for more and more issues." 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. Top stories The Cabinet of Ministers decided on Thursday, November 9 to allocated AMD 120 million to arrange the gathering. Michael Roth believes sanctions must be put on the table after Baku‘s ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Yerevan City Council has elected Tigran Avniyan from the ruling Civil Contract as the mayor of the Armenian capital. The Armenian Parliament on Tuesday, October 3 voted to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Partner news | Russia clarifying reports on Baku’s alleged arms supply to Ukraine Russia says is carefully working to verify reports about alleged arms supplies from Azerbaijan to Ukraine Russia warns Armenia against “falling into West’s trap” Zakharova maintained, however, that anything that will benefit the people of Armenia can only be welcomed. CSTO: Armenia has not participated in secretariat’s work recently Recently Armenia has not participated in the work of the secretariat of the CSTO, Imangali Tasmagambetov said. Ucom launches network modernization efforts in few regions of Armenia In particular, on March 28, the legacy Mobile Switching Subsystem will be replaced with a new one. |