We have said that we have a candidate and the matter should be decided by consensus.
The Acting Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, on Saturday told the aforementioned to reporters. He noted this, as he commented on the most recent developments regarding the appointment of the next Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
“We need to attempt to reach a consensus [on this matter],” Pashinyan said. “It’s not like the CSTO Secretary General’s position is permanently reserved for Armenia.
“The task for us is the CSTO content and the specifying, clarifying of mutual obligations, and to reach a consensus on this matter,”
The acting PM said he was satisfied with the past and future discussions at the CSTO.
“Very open and frank discussions have taken place, which has never taken place in the CSTO,” he added. “We need to comprehend our security environment.”
Asked whether Armenia will use its veto power should Belarus nominate its candidate as the next CSTO chief, Pashinyan responded: “Consensus is more important to the CSTO content than the Secretary General’s matter. We [Armenia] have always been constructive, and we will be constructive—hoping for the same constructive…We don’t want from others more than what we are ready to do.”
As for whether Armenia will host Belarus’ CSTO Secretary General candidate in capital city Yerevan, Nikol Pashinyan said: ‘As long as the discussions continue, we haven’t found it expedient. We haven’t rejected, but we have said that they are not expedient at this phase. The discussions will continue.”