ARMENIA SAYS CAUCASUS COUNTRIES NEED TO JOIN EFFORTS TO SOLVE PRESSING ISSUES
Public Television of Armenia
Nov 24 2009
Armenian National Security Council Secretary Artur Baghdasaryan said
events taking place in the Caucasus region produce great resonance
across the world and solutions to problems that emerged as a result
of complicated processes requires consolidation of efforts of the
regional countries, Armenian Public TV reported on 24 November.
Presiding over a session entitled "Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO) as factor of stability and security in the
Caucasus Region" held in Armenia’s capital Yerevan on 24 November,
Baghdasaryan said: "It is possible to overcome numerous pressing
issues of the Caucasus region only via mutual trust and open dialogue.
Armenia always backed lasting peace and equal good-neighbourly and
partnership relations between countries in the region. Our position
has remained unchanged", the TV reported.
Baghdasaryan added: "In this context, I would like to emphasize the
process of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, which had
been initiated by the Armenian president and as a result of which
Armenia and Turkey signed protocols a month ago [10 October 2009].
Establishment of diplomatic relations and opening of Armenian-Turkish
border will for sure create a new status in the region and in general,
will contribute to improvement of the atmosphere," Armenian Public
TV reported.
The CSTO will have an office in Yerevan from now on, the TV reported.
The CSTO Secretary-General Nikolay Bordyuzha, said at the session
that the opening of a CSTO office in Armenia shows CSTO’s high level
of trust in Armenia and high-level of cooperation with the country,
the TV reported.
Armenia has been a CSTO member from the very start of establishment
of the organization, i.e., from 7 October 2002. The country hosted
the large-scaled CSTO military exercise held to date – "Rubezh 2008".
Currently, it has the CSTO presidency and also participates in the
CSTO’s collective rapid reaction force.