MINSK, 16 May (BelTA) – A decision on the CSTO chief appointment will be made at the session of the Foreign Ministers Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on 22 May, Acting CSTO Secretary General Valery Semerikov told reporters on 16 May, BelTA has learned.
Valery Semerikov noted that a special meeting of the CSTO Permanent Council will be convened on 17 May to discuss the new CSTO secretary general candidacy. Participants of this meeting will work out proposals to be later discussed at the CSTO Foreign Ministers Council on 22 May. “A decision will be made on this day,” Valery Semerikov informed. He explained that the foreign ministers put forward their CSTO chief nominations to the heads of state.
Only one candidate is on the agenda today. This is Secretary General of Belarus Security Council Stanislav Zas, Valery Semerikov recalled. “On 1 January 2020 Belarus will assume presidency in the CSTO,” he said.
A representative of Armenia was supposed to hold this position today, however unexpected developments occurred. “I believe on 22 May we will make a final decision on the candidate. One candidate has already been nominated and many presidents supported it. We will discuss this matter in great detail,” Valery Semerikov said.
A reminder, Secretary General of Belarus Security Council Stanislav Zas was nominated for this position. His candidacy was approved by Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Russia. The respective negotiations with Armenia have not borne fruit yet. Earlier Armenia released its representative Yuri Khachaturov from his position as CSTO Secretary General and kept insisting that an Armenian national should assume this post.
