Armenia has likely candidates for CSTO Secretary General, says acting FM

Armenia doesn’t have a clear decision about nominating or not nominating a candidate for CSTO Secretary General, but it has likely candidates, acting FM Zohrab Mnatsakanyan told reporters today.

“Armenia has candidates. At our assessment they can and will maintain the normal process of the organization’s secretariat. We are sure that we can implement this function if we were to decide to nominate a candidate. We have sufficient resource in Armenia to be able to have candidates,” he said, adding that he can’t get ahead of the processes and say if they will nominate a candidate or not.

Asked if Armenia will be able to maintain the right to nominate a candidate for CSTO Secretary General, Mnatsakanyan said that the issue is on the agenda. He said negotiations with member states of the organization are resuming and that “nothing is final yet”.

He attached importance to the fact that the decision must be acceptable for all six countries of the organization.

He stressed that Armenia’s primary interest is for the CSTO, as a collective security organization, to continue functioning effectively.

“The Collective Security Council session, foreign ministerial session will take place next week. The permanent representatives continue discussions in the permanent council, they are preparing meetings in other levels,” he said.

Speaking about Yuri Khachaturov’s dismissal, the acting FM said that it happened on a working level.

“On a working level means that the heads of state weren’t’ required to gather in one place, but the document was signed on a working level and submitted to the secretariat,” he said.