Armenia should continue its chairmanship in CSTO till the end of the term, says defense minister

YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, ARMENPRESS. Armenia should continue its chairmanship in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) until the end of the term, Defense minister Davit Tonoyan told reporters at the Monte Melkonyan Military-Sports College on August 3, reports Armenpress.

“At the moment no issue of the candidacy of the CSTO Secretary General has been discussed, but Armenia must continue its chairmanship until the deadline expires”, the minister said, commenting on the issue of replacing CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov.

CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov has been charged over the 2008 March 1-2 unrest in Yerevan. He has been remanded into custody, but later was released on bail. Armenia has proposed the CSTO member states to start the process of replacing the CSTO chief. Yuri Khachaturov is serving as CSTO Secretary General since May 2017. Armenia’s chairmanship in the CSTO is until January 2020.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan