Indicted CSTO Secretary General released on bail

July 28, 2018 By administrator

Indicted CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov has been released on bail, his attorney Mihran Poghosyan told Armenpress. The 5 million AMD bail has been paid after midnight.

Amid an ongoing investigation into the 2008 March 1 case, the Special Investigative Service has charged CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov under the Article 300.1 part 1 of the Criminal Code for breaching the constitutional order of the Republic of Armenia in conspiracy with others. Khachaturov was serving as deputy defense minister of Armenia in 2008.

On July 27 the Special Investigative Service filed a motion to remand Khachaturov in custody. The court approved the motion.

CSTO leaders urge to implement Vienna and St. Petersburg agreements on Karabakh

December 1, 2017 By administrator

The heads of the states of CSTO adopted a statement to support the mediation efforts of the co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

The statement adopted during the CSTO Collective Security Council in Minsk says the OSCE Minsk Group “is the only structure having the relevant mandate of the international community, whose mission is to assist the parties in achieving a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by political and diplomatic means.”

It is mentioned that thanks to the efforts of the three co-chairing countries, the principles and elements have been developed as the basis for resolving the dispute.

“Confirming the need for an exclusively peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, we express our support for the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs on the settlement of the conflict on the basis of the norms and principles of international law, the provisions of the UN Charter, as well as the Helsinki Final Act, in particular those concerning the non-use of force or threat of use of force, territorial integrity of states, equality and the right of peoples to self-determination.

We support the implementation of the agreements reached at the summits held in Vienna, St. Petersburg and Geneva in 2016-2017 aimed at preventing the escalation of the situation, observing the cease-fire, taking additional measures to reduce tensions in the conflict zone and intensifying the negotiation process,” the statement reads.

Former Armenian army chief appointed CSTO secretary general

April 14, 2017 By administrator

Former chief of the Armenian Armed Forces Yuri Khahcaturov has been appointed Secretary General of CSTO.

He will take the office starting from May 2, acting chief of the organization Valeriy Smerikov told reporters after the CSTO informal summit.

According to him, during the informal summit the presidents of the CSTO countries considered “the issues of the military-political and military-strategic situation in the area of CSTO responsibility and adopted a number of additional instructions to counter security threats”.

CSTO confirms representative of Armenia to take up the post of the military bloc Secretary General

January 27, 2017 By administrator

Permanent Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has adopted on January 24 the draft decision on “Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization” and has submitted it for the ratification of the CSTO member states.

As the Armenian-Russian Information Agency reports, Press Secretary at CSTO Vladimir Zaynetdinov has informed an agreement had been reached on appointing a representative of Armenia to the post.

“The adopted decision by the Permanent Council names the country whose representative is set to assume the post for a three-year term. That is Armenia,” Zaynetdinov said, as quoted by the agency.

The press secretary at the military bloc has next detailed the decision of the Permanent Council will be discussed in April 2017 at the CSTO summit.

“If the decision is approved, the new Secretary General will be appointed,” Zaynetdinov noted, referring the reporter to the Armenian side to name the possible candidate.

Sharmazanov: CSTO countries say to Turkey it has no place in Karabakh peace process

July 6, 2016 By administrator

no turkey YEREVAN. – The statement on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and which the foreign ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member countries adopted Monday in Armenia, is in the interests of Yerevan.

Vice President of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, Eduard Sharmazanov, on Wednesday told the aforementioned to Armenian News-NEWS.am. He noted that, with this statement, the CSTO member states express their disagreement with the Azerbaijani policy.

“The Armenian side once again succeeded in reaching a shared position within the CSTO,” added Sharmazanov.

He also noted that the official view of the FMs of the CSTO member countries is as follows: the agreements, which were reached at the Vienna and St. Petersburg summits, need to be implemented.

In Sharmazanov’s words, some Turkic-speaking countries, including Turkey and Azerbaijan, are sparing no effort for a long time to engage Turkey in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, as a mediator. But the CSTO member countries have stated that their organization is against a change in the co-chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, and that it supports this co-chairmanship’s efforts to resolve the conflict.

“The CSTO member states are saying: ‘Turkey, you have no place in the Karabakh [conflict] settlement process,” he added.

Deputy speaker of the Armenian parliament also noted that, in the abovementioned statement, the CSTO member states clearly indicate that the precepts for resolving this conflict are equal, and fulfillment of the right to self-determination is inevitable.

CSTO Foreign Ministers adopt statement on Karabakh

July 4, 2016 By administrator

csto fm YEREVAN. – Following the July 4 Yerevan meeting, the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers adopted a statement on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Syria. This was stated by Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbanduian at a press briefing following the meeting

Stressing that it is great honor for Armenia to host such a meeting, the foreign minister said that in the framework of Armenia’s chairmanship in the organization, Yerevan will host a meeting of the Collective Security Council in October.

Preparation for the upcoming session was discussed during today’s meeting.

According to the minister, the focus of today’s meeting was the first strategy of the CSTO until 2025. The ministers also discussed the process of implementation of the agreements and decisions taken at the previous meetings.

“Armenia has always played active role in the organization,” he said.

In turn, the CSTO Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha said that the focus of the organization remain the issues of combating terrorism.

Armenia President: A pity that Russia and other CSTO countries sell weapons to Azerbaijan

April 6, 2016 By administrator

default68 Russia is our strategic ally, we are CSTO (Collective Security TreatyOrganization) member countries, and it is truly regrettable for us that not only Russia, but also other members of the same organization sell weapons to Azerbaijan.

The President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, on Wednesday stated the aforesaid at his joint news conference, in Berlin, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

He added that Armenia has a limited capacity to have any bearing on this process.

“Azerbaijan has modern weapons, and the [recent] three-day military actions [in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone] showed that it uses them,” Sargsyan stressed. “But strength is not in the modernity of the weapons and in the [number of] tanks, but in the faith which the Karabakh—and in general, the Armenian—people have; the faith that the homeland must be defended.

“You see how our [Armenian] society manifested itself [during these hostilities]. In Azerbaijan, you will not find [any] information about casualties. The three-day tension showed that the best societies also know to fight well.”

Armenia’s Sargsyan attends CSTO Collective Security Council session in Moscow

December 21, 2015 By administrator

14985_b President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, who is in Russia on a working visit, on Monday is attending the Moscow meeting of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

At the beginning of the session, President Vladimir Putin of the host country welcomed the participants and wished them productive work.

Subsequently, the meeting was chaired by Sargsyan, President of Armenia which had assumed the chairmanship of the CSTO.

At the moment, negotiations are held in a narrow format, with the participation of the Presidents of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Secretary General of the Organization.

Afterwards, the heads of the CSTO member states will continue the session in an

extended format, with the participation of the members of their delegations.

At the plenary session of the CSTO Collective Security Council, the parties will sign several documents, including the Declaration of the Heads of the CSTO on fighting international terrorism, and drafts of the resolutions of the Collective Security Council “On the Secretary General of the CSTO” and “On the rotation of the officials-members of the permanent bodies of the CSTO.”

Within the framework of the meeting agenda, the leaders of the CSTO member states will also exchange views on the current global situation and future activities of this organization.

Russia, CSTO have great military power – Vahan Shirkhanyan

October 8, 2015 By administrator

All those underestimating the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) as a security structure have seen an entirely opposite picture when Russia accurately fired missiles at the Islamic State from its warships in the Caspian Sea, Armenia’s ex-minister of defense Vahan Shirkhanyan told Tert.am.

“It was said by certain people getting orders and grants, who were ordered to describe the CSTO as a weak and disunited structure incapable of anything, for people to think of what could happen in case of threats. Quite the opposite has been proved now – the Russian and CSTO armed forces are powerful,” he said.

He is not surprised Russia, a CSTO member, has such military potential.

“I knew about the CSTO’s power long ago and I am not surprised that it used the Caspian Fleet. It is natural and the decision is to neutralize the Islamic State’s threats, and Russia is consistently progressing toward the aim. A new approach is that Russia will destroy the terrorist group in Iraq as well if that country applies,” Mr Shirkhanyan said.

Armenia’s policy of national security under Russian auspices is right, and the criticism of the lack of any actions amid the border tensions is artificial.

“The CSTO issued a most serious statement on the inadmissibility of ceasefire violations – not like the President of the European Council, who said that the media should provide wider coverage of the conflict. So I do not see any discrepancies and I am sure that the CSTO is our security structure, with our strategic ally Russia playing a major role. We are going to be a CSTO member for a long period, and the Armenian armed forces will grow stronger in cooperation with this structure.”

Armenia capable of ensuring own safety: CSTO chief

October 5, 2015 By administrator

Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is confident that further escalation is unacceptable in Karabakh conflict zone.

“Use of heavy weapons against peaceful settlements is absolutely unacceptable,” Nikolai Bordyuzha said at the closing ceremony of Indestructible Brotherhood 2015 military exercise in Armenia. “It is troubling that the numerous statements by the Collective Security Council and the Council of the CSTO Foreign Ministers had no impact on Armenia’s neighbors.”

“The international community must do everything to prevent further deterioration,” Bordyuzha said.

In response to a question on CSTO’s involvement in the conflict, the Secretary General said a CSTO member state, unable to deal with the situation, should apply to the Organization first.

“I believe Armenian armed forces are capable of ensuring security, stability and territorial integrity of the country,” Bordyuzha stressed.