YEREVAN, DECEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS.  President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan delivered a speech at the session of the CSTO Collective Security Council referring to the implementation process of the agreements reached at the September session of the CSTO CSC, Armenia’s priorities within the Organization as the presiding country, events planned within the framework of the CSTO as well as to international and regional threats and challenges.

As “Armenpress” was informed from the Department of Information and Mass Media of Republic of Armenia President’s Staff, in this context, the President particularly mentioned,

“Dear colleagues,

Downing the Russian Su-24 jet by the Turkish armed forces became a serious challenge for counter-measuring terrorism, normalization of the situation in Syria and steps for peace establishment in the region. Any support to terrorism is subject to sever condemnation.

The development of the situation over the downed Russian jet showed all of us how practical military-political alliances form.  The unconditional support of NATO states, including Greece, to Turkey clearly show that the principle “One for all and all for one” is a mandatory condition for the effectiveness of similar establishments. Even in case that the activities of Turkey contradicted all the norms and principles of friendship and amiability, even in case that it downed a jet fulfilling a military operation highly important for the international society fighting against terrorism, neither of the NATO states questioned the act of the Turkish side. We must take lessons from this.

Of course, each state has its own interests, its priorities, but those must not contradict to our joint interests and mutual commitments. Every time when the Azerbaijani armed forces use firearm weapons, mortars, and artillery, they fire in the direction of Astana, Dushanbe, and Bishkek, Moscow and Minsk. I have to remind about the respective article in our charter. And if we not only do not use that article, do not discuss the situation, and find no need to take the telephone and inquire what is going on in allied Armenia, and together with that vote against each other’s interests in international organizations, make bilateral declarations with the third countries, the content of which is directed against CSTO allies, we put the entire Organization, its reputation and importance under those shots.

Azerbaijan’s policy is directed at escalating the situation. Unfortunately, after the Dushanbe session the situation has not stabilized but has further intensified. The use of heavy artillery, including Turkish made, is not enough for Azerbaijan.   On December 8 the armed forces of Azerbaijan undertook tank assault, which was the first time since the establishment of the ceasefire   in 1994 which escalates the situation to a new and very dangerous level.

Considering the tense atmosphere in the region, it cannot be excluded that Azerbaijan took that step by a hint or support of someone else from outside”.