ArmInfo.Yerevan should think long and hard before purchasing military equipment from the United States, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots Konstantin Zatulin expressed such an opinion to ArmInfo.
"Armenia tried to maintain good relations with the United States and France for all the years of independence. And considering, let's say, not the best relations of Yerevan with Baku and Ankara, that would be wrong by Russia to demand from Armenia refusing from these relations. At the same time Moscow surely drew attention to the actual proposal made by John Bolton to purchase military equipment from the US. In my opinion, this development would directly contradict the obligations of Armenia in the framework of relations with the CSTO. Meeting these very obligations, Moscow supplies weapons on very favorable terms, "the Russian politician emphasized.
During a visit to Armenia in October last year, US National Security Adviser John Bolton suggested that the government of the republic buy American weapons. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in response, did not rule out the possibility of discussing this issue in the case of "receiving a favorable proposal from Washington." Two days later, Armenian Defense Minister David Tonoyan said that at the moment there is no need to purchase American weapons. Moreover, according to him, Armenia does not have any other discussions on military cooperation with the United States.
At the same time, Zatulin believes that Moscow has every right to evaluate the extent to which the change of power in Armenia is reflected in the defense potential of the allies of Russia in the CSTO. In this light, the MP noted the criminal case opened in Armenia against former Secretary General of the Organization Yuri Khachaturov. According to his estimates, the public controversy formed as a result within the CSTO not only does not reflect credit to anyone, but also damages trust among the member countries of the Organization.
"Of course, I know how this whole epic will end around replacing Khachaturov with a new representative from Armenia or Belarus. And even the name of the one who will be appointed as the head of the CSTO as a result of all this. However, today I consider it to be wrong and contradictory to the interests of the countries participants, including Russia ", Zatulin summed up.
As a result of the early recall by Yerevan of the former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia Yuri Khachaturov from the post of CSTO Secretary General, this position is vacant from November 2, 2018 to this day, despite the fact that Armenia put forward a new candidate. The chairmanship in the Organization moves from one state to the next in accordance with the Russian alphabet. And, given that Khachaturov worked only half of the three years term, and the term of the chairmanship expires only in 2020, Yerevan quite reasonably insists on the appointment of its representative. The name of the Armenian candidate is not named, however, according to the insider information embedded in the media, he is ex-Minister of Defense of the Republic, Lieutenant-General Vagharshak Harutyunyan.
In turn, Belarus, has nominated its own candidate, Secretary of State of the Security Council of the Republic, Stanislav Zas. A total of 6 countries remain in the CSTO after the exit of Uzbekistan: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. According to the CSTO Charter, a decision on the appointment of a new Secretary General in any case can be made only in the format of the six CSTO countries, solely on the basis of consensus, taking into account the interests of all parties