MOSCOW, 10 August (BelTA) – Belarus is facing a continuous hybrid attack that seeks to overthrow its legitimate government using almost all possible tools, Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Stanislav Zas said at a meeting with Armenia's Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Armen Grigoryan in Yerevan on 9 August, CSTO Press Secretary Vladimir Zainetdinov told BelTA.
“Stanislav Zas informed the Armenian side about the situation in the CSTO area of responsibility, and about preparations for the next session of the Collective Security Council. In particular, it was noted at the meeting with Armen Grigoryan that tensions are mounting along the entire perimeter of the organization's area of responsibility. Belarus is facing a continuous hybrid attack that seeks to overthrow its legitimate government using almost all possible tools: psychological, economic sanctions and muscle-flexing,” the spokesman said.
The CSTO chief also gave an assessment of the situation in the Central Asian region of collective security. "After the withdrawal of the United States and their allies from Afghanistan, the situation in the country has significantly worsened. The country is fast descending into chaos. There is a risk of a massive influx of refugees into the neighboring Tajikistan and the penetration of international terrorist organizations there," he said. Stanislav Zas said that the CSTO is closely monitoring the situation on the Tajik-Afghan border.
Speaking about the Caucasus region of collective security, the CSTO secretary general noted that the tensions on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border affect the security of both Armenia itself and the CSTO area of responsibility as a whole. "We are seriously concerned about an increasing number and widening geography of armed incidents resulting in casualties. We believe that the possibilities to resolve border contradictions between Armenia and Azerbaijan by political and diplomatic means are far from being exhausted," Stanislav Zas emphasized.
Touching upon the preparations for the upcoming session of the Collective Security Council, the parties discussed the items on the agenda, and the upcoming chairmanship of Armenia in the CSTO in 2022.
Stanislav Zas also met with Armenian Defense Minister Arshak Karapetyan. “It was noted that plans are in place to sign four important documents during the next session of the Collective Security Council as part of further development of the military component. Among them are amendments to the agreement on the CSTO peacekeeping activities, determining the procedure and possibility of involving the CSTO peacekeeping forces in the UN peacekeeping missions through the coordinating state, and also the plan to equip the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Force with modern weapons, military and special equipment,” the spokesman said. Arshak Karapetyan and Stanislav Zas discussed the exercises of the CSTO Collective Forces that are due to take place in Tajikistan and Russia in October-November 2021.
Stanislav Zas also held a meeting with Chief of Staff of the Armenian Security Council Hayk Petrosyan. The parties discussed modern challenges and threats and also the upcoming exercise Thunder 2021, featuring the CSTO special counter-drugs units, in Armenia in late September.
“Stanislav Zas is expected to meet with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on 10 August,” the spokesman added.
