CSTO chief meets Army Chief of Staff in Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net - CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas, who is heading a CSTO mission in Armenia, met with the Chief of the Army General Staff, Major General Edvard Asryan on Thursday, September 23, CSTO press secretary Vladimir Zainetdinov said in a statement.

"A detailed discussion of the situation in certain areas of the border regions of the Republic of Armenia took place. [The sides] discussed further possible steps of the Organization in the current situation," the statement says.

Zas arrived at the head of the CSTO mission to Armenia in accordance with the decision of the extraordinary meeting of the CSTO Collective Security Council on September 13. The mission includes representatives of the CSTO member states.

The mission is expected to assess the current situation, prepare a detailed report for the heads of the CSTO member states on the situation in the region and develop proposals for de-escalating the tension.

The latest round of fighting began in the wee hours of September 13, when the Azerbaijani military attacked Armenian posts and shelled Armenian settlements both on the border and deep behind the frontline. At least 207 people are dead or missing as a result, the Security Council of Armenia said on Monday.