I Hope the Assistance Package Planned for Armenia Will Be Approved After the Revision: Zas

HAPC Secretary General Stanislav Zas is hopeful that the assistance package intended for Armenia will be approved after revisions. He made this statement during a press conference held via video link from Sputnik Armenia's multimedia press center connecting Moscow, Astana, Bishkek, Yerevan, and Minsk.

"I hope that after the revisions, we will reach a package solution for 2 important documents. It concerns a decision by the Collective Security Council to provide assistance to Armenia and the declaration of the CSTO foreign ministers in support of efforts to achieve peace in the South Caucasus," he said.

Zas also spoke about the operational effectiveness of the CSTO during the events of September. He mentioned that on September 13, there were intense clashes on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. On the same day, the leaders of the states gathered online to hold a session of the Collective Security Council to discuss the situation.

Zas recalled that it was immediately decided to carry out a monitoring mission in Armenia, noting that the plane landed in Yerevan with a crew the following day. According to Zas, subsequent events indicate that the CSTO can operate quickly and effectively.

According to him, as a result of the mission's efforts, a draft decision of the Collective Security Council on "Joint Measures to Assist Armenia" was prepared, which was discussed at the Collective Security Council session held in Yerevan on November 23.

He stated that under the existing conditions, the main goal of the CSTO is to ensure the security of member states and enhance their cohesion. In this regard, political-diplomatic measures remain a priority as before.

Zas added that 2022 was a challenging year for CSTO countries, first with the events in Kazakhstan, then the special operation of the Russian Federation, and in September, the clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which resulted in hundreds of casualties from two days of fighting. "We faced serious challenges that required a new approach to the situation and prompt actions," he said.

He noted that for the first time in the history of the CSTO, a record number of meetings were held last year—5 meetings in one year.