Russia considers the statement of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on starting the replacement process of Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO ) Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov, non-professional. Moscow’s high-ranking diplomatic source told this to the Russian News Agency TASS.
“Armenian Foreign Ministry made a non-professional proposal to the CSTO member states to “start the process of replacement of the organization’s secretary general”, says the source. “This statement is so strange: the changes that took place in Armenia are not reflected on the staff of the Foreign Ministry, which itself had proposed Khachaturov’s candidacy in the CSTO. Moreover, it is well aware that Armenia itself should start the process of calling its representative back”.
The source highlighted that Yerevan should send a written notice to the CSTO, and only then the process of ceasing the powers of the Secretary General will start.
“If Yerevan has decided that Mr. Khachaturov should not hold the position, then Armenia should submit a written notice to the CSTO, and only after that the official process will begin not for “replacing the Secretary General”, but for “ceasing his powers”, says the source.
Earlier Armenian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Tigran Balayan stated that Armenia has applied to CSTO member states to start the process of replacement of the Secretary General.
CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov has been released on bail on March 1 case.