YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. Armenia will continue to work on strengthening the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan told reporters on April 21, Armenpress reports.

“In fact, CSTO is a structure solving many major problems, including in terms of forming a system of military education, achievements, forming rapid reaction forces, as well as developing the capacities of peacekeeping forces. We see that potential and will continue to do everything so that our membership to the CSTO will be maximally effective and useful”, the Minister said.

He emphasized that the CSTO is an important component for Armenia’s security, however, it has several problems. “I have talked about two of these problems: the one is the absence of soft power mechanisms, and the second one concerns the issue of taking into account the mutual interests of member states on foreign policy issues”, Vigen Sargsyan said, adding that this is not only the CSTO’s issue. The Minister stated that as of now Armenia highly appreciated the statements and stances of the CSTO as a structure, also over the Artsakh issue.