Armenian parliament speaker underlines growing role of CSTO

YEREVAN, September 18. / ARKA /. Armenian parliament speaker Hovik Abrahamian underlined the growing role of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in an address to participants of the Coordinating Meeting of heads of defense and security committees of CSTO member countries parliaments who have gathered in the Armenian capital.

"The CSTO is an important regional and global factor in maintaining peace and stability. Armenia, as a reliable partner and a CSTO ally, takes active part in its activities," he said in the address read out at the meeting.

According to Abrahamian, as the tension in the region grows improvement of the collective security system has become a priority for CSTO member nations. He said this system is being tested now at the war games of the CSTO’s Collective Rapid Reaction Force.

"I believe that the establishment of the Coordination Meeting as an additional parliamentary mechanism will have its positive impact on the activities of the CSTO," he said.

The Coordination Meeting of heads of defense and security committees of CSTO member countries parliaments is being held in Yerevan on September 18-19. On September 18 the participants met with Armenian defense minister Seyran Ohanyan, and also visited the Military Institute after Vazgen Sargsyan. They will also lay wreaths at the Armenian Genocide Memorial Tsitsernakaberd.

The war games kicked off on September 15 and will run until September 19. They involve about 2,000 troops from six CSTO countries: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. The games are being watched by representatives form the International Red Cross Committee, UN, CIS and OSCE. The participating troops are practicing joint operations and the use of collective security system means in the Caucasus, with the support of aviation and artillery units, including multiple rocket launchers. -0-