Monday, December 19 2022 16:52

ArmInfo. I expect that after the elaboration, both a decision on measures to provide assistance to Armenia and a statement in support of efforts to  achieve peace in the South Caucasus region will be adopted. This was  announced on December 19 during the Moscow - Astana - Bishkek -  Yerevan - Minsk video bridge by CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas,  summing up the activities of the CSTO in 2022 and the results of the  regular session of the CSTO Collective Security Council in Yerevan.

In this vein, he stated that 2022 was a difficult and challenging  year for the CSTO.

The Secretary General recalled the developments  in January in  Kazakhstan, the NVO, the developments of September 13-14 and violent  clashes on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, when there were hundreds  of loses  in just 2 days, clashes on the Tajik-Kyrgyz border.

"Five extraordinary meetings of the Collective Security Council (CSC)  of the CSTO were held and three times at the request of Armenian  Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan," he said, that the CSTO showed  sufficient activity and on the same day, as soon as the clashes began  on September 13, the CSC summit was held online, at which it was  decided to send a monitoring mission to Armenia.

"A day later, the plane with the advance group of the mission landed.  As a result, a draft decision was developed on joint measures to  assist Armenia, which was considered on November 23 at the CSC in  Yerevan. I hope that after elaboration, two important documents will  be adopted - this is like a decision on measures to provide  assistance to the RA, and a statement in support of efforts to  achieve peace in the South Caucasus region," the CSTO Secretary  General said.

To clarify what the draft decision on measures of assistance to  Armenia was and whether it involved the provision of  military-technical assistance, Zas said that he would not detail it,  because the draft decision submitted to the heads of state was  classified.

"But, there really was a point there that assumed the provision of  military-technical assistance. Although there was no definite list,  during the CSTO mission to the border, a request was received from  Armenia for the necessary equipment and weapons," he said, once again  emphasizing that the package assistance provided for  military-technical assistance.

"But, this does not mean that tomorrow, after the signing of the  document, a plane with the weapons necessary for Armenia would fly  in. But this would enable the Ministries of Defense to work according  to this list and implement it if the heads of state approve.  Moreover, at different levels - something like assistance, something  at domestic prices," the CSTO Secretary General explained.