Armenian Foreign Ministry rebukes CSTO Secretariat for 'inappropriate' comment

YEREVAN, January 12. /ARKA/. Interpretation of statements made by the members of the CSTO Collective Security Council - the supreme body of the Organization is out of the competency of the Secretariat, which is a working body of the CSTO, Vahan Hunanyan, spokesman for Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a comment on CSTO Secretariat statement regarding the cancellation of military drills in the territory of the Republic of Armenia.

Hunanyan said CSTO member states do not expect any perception of their actions and decisions from the Secretariat.

'The tasks of the Secretariat are clearly defined in the statutory documents of the Organization. The Secretariat is a working body which provides organizational, informational, analytical and advisory support to the activities of the Organization's bodies. We call on the newly appointed Secretary General of the Organization to conduct a detailed fact check on the Secretariat's comment in order to prevent its recurrence,' he said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said January 10 that Armenia will not host Russia-led limitary exercise. He said defense minister, Suren Papikyan formally notified the CSTO’s Moscow-based Secretariat and Joint Staff that holding the planned drills in Armenia is “not expedient this year.”-0-