Caretaker defense minister believes Armenia should continue chairmanship at CSTO

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker defense minister Davit Tonoyan believes that Armenia should continue the chairmanship at the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

“Taking into account that the chairmanship at this phase belongs to Armenia until 2020, a decision will be made within two days. Certain political agreements might exist which I am unaware of. My principled approach is that Armenia should continue [chairmanship] at the CSTO. There is a normative regulation in the CSTO, the leaders of the countries must make the decision,” he said, adding that at this phase it is Armenia’s turn.

He stressed that he doesn’t know anything about the nomination of a candidate for Secretary General of CSTO.

Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretary-General Yuri Khachaturov, an Armenian general, was removed from office on November 2.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan