YEREVAN. – Armenia has to raise its relations with Russia to a new level, this refers to bilateral format as well as within the Eurasian Union and CSTO, acting PM Nikol Pashinyan said during “My Step” bloc’s campaign rally in Vanadzor.  

“Heated discussions within CSTO are aimed at clarifying the relations between the member states. Do you know what CSTO’s commitments are and what our commitments to CSTO are? For us it is not that acceptable and not clear why our allies are selling weapons to a country that has enmity towards us. This is a serious challenge, and we are inclined to have a clear and transparent discussion with our partners to see what we have to do. So, that we could know who we can rely on,” Pashinyan said.

However, Pashinyan believed that Armenia’s policy should be based on the notion that we rely upon ourselves, and we have to become stronger to do so.

On November 2, Armenia’s representative Yuri Khachaturov was dismissed from the office of CSTO Secretary General.

And after the CSTO leaders’ meeting in Astana on November 8, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko met with the ambassador of Azerbaijan—which is not a member in the CSTO, and told him about what was discussed during this closed meeting.

Subsequently, Armenia’s acting PM Nikol Pashinyan stated that Lukashenko should give explanations for this.

But in response, the Belarusian MFA stated that Pashinyan had probably put himself in the position of an international prosecutor.

The issue of a secretary general will be discussed during a meeting in Saint Petersburg on December 6.