Friday, December 14 2018 15:15

ArmInfo. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko does not understand why Armenia stands against the Belarusian candidate for the position of CSTO Secretary General. 

 "It is a shame that we fail to elect the key official of the  Collective Security Treaty Organization," Alexander Lukashenko said at the press conference with Russian reporters, Interfax reports. He stressed that Armenian authorities should make advances to the remaining members of CSTO, as it was this country that involved the organization into its internal political problems. 

 "I suggest current secretary of state, a young general. An  intelligent guy, with a lot of experience, staff work. He's the secretary of state, all the presidents know him," Lukashenko continued. "I am taking this step so that from now on we will appoint acting talented generals to show the significance of the CSTO," A. Lukashenko stressed.

At the same time, he recalled that he proposed that S. Zas would  visit each of the CSTO countries, including Armenia. "If you are ready to accept him, listen to him... You  may not agree with his candidacy, you can follow your principles. But talk to him. Maybe he will be a better candidate than any Armenian. What are you afraid of Belarusians? We are friends, aren't we? ", A. Lukashenko summed up.

The vacancy of the CSTO Secretary General opened after Armenia early  recalled its representative Yuri Khachaturov, who has worked in this position for a year and a half from the three years stipulated by the charter. The Russian representative Valery Semerikov is the acting Secretary General, who previously worked as Deputy Secretary General of the CSTO.

In July, the Yerevan Court of First Instance decided to arrest  Khachaturov, accused of trying to overthrow the constitutional order  in Armenia in 2008, and then agreed to release him on bail. In early  November, N.Nazarbayev, following the session of the Collective  Security Council of the CSTO, stated that the next Secretary General  after Armenia should be selected from Belarus according to the  organization's charter. Last Thursday, the President of Belarus  announced that the new CSTO Secretary General will be a Belarusian  representative. Meanwhile, Yerevan does not confirm A. Lukashenko's  statement that the post of CSTO Secretary General will be taken by  the representative of Belarus. "The issue has not been resolved yet.  The position of Armenia in this matter has not undergone any  changes," Spokesperson of the Prime Minister of Armenia, Arman  Yeghoyan told Interfax on December 6. Yerevan insists that the CSTO  Secretary General should be the representative of Armenia until 2020.   Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan are  members of CSTO.