By Abdul Kerimkhanov
Armenian acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, showing his incompetence, said that Armenia would require explanations from Belarus and Kazakhstan at the presidential level.
He accused the Belarus and Kazakh's leaders of discussing the situation around the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) with Azerbaijan, which is a non-member state. he was esepcially tough about the president of Belarus. Pashinyan expressed "surprise" that a person holding the status of the head of state for 30 years could afford such a step. “And I, of course, should demand explanations from the President of Belarus and not only from the President of Belarus,” said the acting head of the Armenian Cabinet, adding that “he will also require explanations from the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, for speaking with conflicting statements”.
Earlier, the spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Armenia called the statement made by President Lukashenko on the CSTO Secretary General as non-correct.
In turn, Anatoly Glaz, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Belarus, commented a recent statement by the acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on November 17.
Glaz said that apparently, the acting Prime Minister of Armenia imagines himself an international prosecutor authorized to punish or pardon. “Perhaps this was acceptable in the case of Yuri Khacaturov, former CSTO Secretary General. But in interstate relations there are quite clear rules of protocol and etiquette,“ Glaz stressed.
He noticed that probably, Mr. Pashinyan has not yet understood that the rules of the so-called street democracy are not acceptable in big politics. “It's a pity. We hope that this will pass by time,“ the spokesman for the Belarus Foreign Ministry replied diplomatically.
Armenia, despite of being an allied state with Belarus and Kazakhstan in the CSTO, is regarded as an unserious partner. CSTO Secretary General's issue is not discussed with Armenia.
One can say safely that Armenia is nothing more than a burden for the CSTO member states. By bringing Yuri Khachaturov to the leadership of the CSTO, which is a full member of Armenia, Armenia has seriously hit the reputation and activities of this organization. Afterwards, the Pashinian government has further complicated the situation by filing a criminal case against that person.
After the latest CSTO summit in Astana, Armenia is now facing allegations against its allies. This is inacceptable not only at the level of allied countries but also in ordinary relations between countries.
Armenia's main concern, jealousy and envy are respect of Kazakhstan and Belarus towards Azerbaijan, as well as the friendly relations between Azerbaijan and these countries at the level of heads of state.
So, if such a situation continues, Armenia may lose CSTO membership altogether.
Tensions between Armenia and the CSTO countries arose after Armenia initiated and recalled Yuri Khachaturov from the post of CSTO Secretary General on October 30, without having previously coordinated these procedures with other partners in the Organization.
The leaders of the CSTO member countries at the Astana summit failed to reach a consensus on the candidacy of the new Secretary General of the Organization on November 8. It was decided to return to this issue at the organization’s summit in St. Petersburg on December 6, until then the acting president of CSTO Secretary General will remain Russian Valery Semerikov.
The court of general jurisdiction of Yerevan made a decision to arrest the second president of Armenia, Robert Kocharian, for two months in the case of the events of March 1, 2008, on the night of July 28. He is accused of overthrowing the constitutional order of preliminary agreement with other persons. CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov, who was released on bail of 5 million drams ($10,400), and former Minister of Defense of Armenia Mikael Harutyunyan, who is currently on the wanted list, were also charged as the accused. Armenian side initiated the procedure for recalling Khachaturov from the post of CSTO Secretary General on August 1.