CSTO foreign ministers will focus on elaboration of organization’s legislation
21.05.2019,
16:02
Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan who is flying today to Kyrgyz capital Bishkek to attend a meeting of foreign ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states and his peers will not discuss the issue of appointment of secretary general of the military alliance, Anna Naghdalyan, a spokeswoman for the Armenian ministry, told a press briefing today.
YEREVAN, May 21 /ARKA/. Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan who is flying today to Kyrgyz capital Bishkek to attend a meeting of foreign ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states and his peers will not discuss the issue of appointment of secretary general of the military alliance, Anna Naghdalyan, a spokeswoman for the Armenian ministry, told a press briefing today.
The previous secretary general of the Russia-led organization Yuri Khachaturov was sacked in 2018 November after being charged by Armenian authorities with involvement in a 2008 crackdown on opposition protesters in Yerevan. Khachaturov’s three-year tenure was due to end in 2020.
Armenian government demanded that the position be given to another representative of Yerevan who should head it until that time. However, the demand was rejected by other CSTO member states.
The CSTO secretary general is appointed on a rotational basis in alphabetical order. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko nominated Stanislav Zas for the vacant post. Zas’s candidacy was reportedly backed by Russia and all other members of the organization except for Armenia.
Late last year Zas traveled to the capitals of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to meet with their presidents and reportedly secured their backing for his candidacy. He was said to have expressed a desire to visit Yerevan as well, however, a spokesman for Armenian Prime Minister said the issue was not on government’s agenda.
According to Naghdalyan, in Bishkek Mnatsakanyan and other CSTO foreign ministers will focus on elaborating CSTO legislation and fill the legal gaps in case of early termination of powers of the CSTO secretary general.
The CSTO includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. -0-
The previous secretary general of the Russia-led organization Yuri Khachaturov was sacked in 2018 November after being charged by Armenian authorities with involvement in a 2008 crackdown on opposition protesters in Yerevan. Khachaturov’s three-year tenure was due to end in 2020.
Armenian government demanded that the position be given to another representative of Yerevan who should head it until that time. However, the demand was rejected by other CSTO member states.
The CSTO secretary general is appointed on a rotational basis in alphabetical order. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko nominated Stanislav Zas for the vacant post. Zas’s candidacy was reportedly backed by Russia and all other members of the organization except for Armenia.
Late last year Zas traveled to the capitals of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to meet with their presidents and reportedly secured their backing for his candidacy. He was said to have expressed a desire to visit Yerevan as well, however, a spokesman for Armenian Prime Minister said the issue was not on government’s agenda.
According to Naghdalyan, in Bishkek Mnatsakanyan and other CSTO foreign ministers will focus on elaborating CSTO legislation and fill the legal gaps in case of early termination of powers of the CSTO secretary general.
The CSTO includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. -0-
