How the CSTO Issue Will Be Resolved: Documents Sent to Member States

According to the "168 Hours" newspaper, a significant news update was released yesterday. The acting Secretary General of the CSTO, Valery Semerikov, gave an interview to the TASS agency, informing that all necessary documents concerning the approval of the candidate nominated by Belarus for the position of CSTO Secretary General have been sent to the member states of the organization.

At the same time, Semerikov noted that since the deadlines for agreement and signing of documents are not specified, it is impossible to state when the appointment of the new Secretary General will be confirmed. In response to this statement, the spokesperson for the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Anna Naghdalyan, said yesterday that for the Armenian side, the primary concern is the registration of the principle, and until that principle is confirmed regarding how to fill this legal gap in such situations, any further discussions are indeed unnecessary for Armenia.

How this issue will be resolved remains unclear, and it is also unknown what response Armenia will provide, or whether it will respond at all, as it did during the proposal of Belarusian candidate Stanislav Zas for the position of CSTO Secretary General to come to Armenia and meet with the Armenian side.

We recall that Zas announced on February 7 that the CSTO regulations allow for decision-making on the appointment of the Secretary General with a limited composition, but this is not the best option, as such decisions are made by consensus. Furthermore, he mentioned that he is ready to meet with the Armenian side, but has not received a response from Yerevan.

In an interview with a correspondent of "168 Hours," Russian political analyst Fyodor Lukyanov commented on the situation within the CSTO, stating: "It was clear that what happened with the previous Secretary General was a consequence of internal political developments in Armenia, but it pertains to an international organization, and therefore dealt a blow to the CSTO's reputation. This, of course, cannot be pleasant for the other member countries of the CSTO, and this could have been predictable, as some internal decisions regarding individuals holding positions in international organizations are sensitive topics, thus a much more cautious approach should be taken on this matter. The issue arose, and then the question of resolving legal matters, acceptable to all CSTO member states, began to circulate. However, simultaneously, Belarus is working to establish its candidate due to the nature of these unregulated relations. Despite these developments, I do not think that a decision will be made without Armenia's involvement."

He also mentioned that there are circulating reports suggesting that if consensus is not reached, Semerikov's secretariat may continue until 2020.

"Naturally, Armenia could pursue an alternative path, not exacerbating the issue by simultaneously raising questions that could strengthen the CSTO structure," he added.

For more details, refer to today's edition of the newspaper.