13:39,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. Yerevan has applied to Moscow for security consultations within the framework of bilateral treaties, not the CSTO, the Armenian Ambassador to Russia Vardan Toghanyan told RIA Novosti when asked to clarify the request.

“It’s about applying to the Russian President by citing our bilateral treaties,” the ambassador said when asked if the request was an application for the CSTO or a bilateral format only.

Earlier the ambassador hadn’t ruled out that during the consultations the issue of Russian provision of military support to Armenia will be discussed.

The CSTO is a military alliance between Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, its charter stipulates that member states are bound to protect one another if anyone of them gets attacked.

But the Armenian Prime Minister’s request to Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to the bilateral allied relations and the 1997 treaty on mutual aid. In response, Russia reiterated its commitments to the allied obligations to Armenia and said it will provide support in case of the fighting reaching directly the territory of Armenia.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan