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It was not Belarus that created a problem over the appointment of a new CSTO Secretary General, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko told Russian reporters in Minsk.

He said it is a shame that “we cannot elect the key official of the Collective Security Treaty Organization”, Belta reported.

Speaking about the sharp response from Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, the Belarus president stressed: “We didn't create the problem. He did. Since he did it, since the former head of the organization was jailed, if you were a wise man, we could have resolved the problem quietly, we could have elected a new official. The official does not play such a major role. The problem would not exist then. Instead Nikol Pashinyan gave us a taste of domestic political problems. We should not be blamed for the backlash inside Armenia. We didn't try to get involved. He got us involved in the course of the discussion by talking about elections over there and so on.”

Alexander Lukashenko explained his attitude: “Since Belarus was supposed to take the baton [the CSTO secretary general] from Armenia, it is awkward for me to talk about it. I don't want to be seen as someone trying to get his own man appointed. Nursultan Nazarbayev and then Vladimir Putin and the rest backed the idea of transferring the chairmanship and electing a Belarus representative as the next head of the organization. I said: okay, we are ready for it, in a year we will be ready to suggest our own candidate in line with the charter, let things be that way.” “Nursultan Nazarbayev told media afterwards that Belarusians will preside over the organization next. We were virtually in agreement about it. Yes, Armenia was against it but in actual fact we were in agreement. The Kazakhstan president mentioned it. And Nikol Pashinyan spoke sharply in response,” continued Alexander Lukashenko.

Alexander Lukashenko said he believes that wisdom is required in such matters and experienced politicians act accordingly.

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