The joint sitting of the CSTO Council of Foreign Minister, Council of Defense Ministers and Council of National Security Secretaries was held at the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the chairmanship of Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

“Armenia has always been active in improving the collaboration within the framework of the CSTO, deepening the cooperation between the member states, development of mechanisms of coordination of foreign policies, promotion of defense cooperation,” FM Edward Nalbandian said in his opening remarks.

The Armenian FM presented the situation established as a result of Azerbaijan’s April aggression against Artsakh and the agreements reached at Vienna and St. Petersburg summits, underlining Baku’s unwillingness to call them to life.

Edward Nalbandian referred to the Syrian crisis and the need to take immediate steps to normalize the situation. He also spoke about the migration crisis and the fight against terrorism and

During the sitting reference was made to the work of the statutory bodies, intensification of cooperation between CSTO member states within the framework of different international formats, the schedule of political, defense and security consultations planned for 2016 and 2017.

The participants of the joint sitting approved of the “CSTO collective security strategy until 2025,” the final statement of the Collective Security Council session and the statement on the “Settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict” to be considered at the CSTO Collective Security Council later today. About 30 documents were signed upon the conclusion fo the meeting.

At the end of the sitting Armenia handed over the chairmanship of the CSTO statutory bodies o Belarus.