Russia does not consider the Armenian foreign ministry’s statement on the need to replace Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to be professional.

A senior diplomatic source in Moscow on Saturday told about the aforementioned to Russian News Agency TASS. 

“Such announcements are even more surprising, since the [recent] changes in Armenia have not reflected on the staff of the foreign ministry, which had recently nominated Khachaturov’s candidacy to the CSTO,” noted the interlocutor of the news agency. “And, most importantly, it [the Armenian foreign ministry] is well aware of the procedure, according to which Armenia itself shall start the process of recalling the [serving CSTO] Secretary General, who is a representative of that country.

“If Yerevan has decided that now Mr. Khachaturov doesn’t satisfy them in that position, Armenia needs to send a respective written notification to the CSTO, and only after that will begin the official procedure—and not the replacement of the Secretary General, but the termination of his powers.”

MFA: Armenia proposes CSTO partner states to start Secretary General replacement process