Armenia skipping CSTO summit angers Lukashenko

yahoo! news
Nov 24 2023

Self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko was outraged by Armenia's decision not to participate in the summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Minsk, Belarusian news agency BelTA reported on Nov. 23.

"We also discussed the situation in the Caucasus and some dissatisfaction of one of the members of the Collective Security Council," Lukashenko said, referring to Armenia skipping the summit.

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The Belarusian dictator added that "there have always been and will be problematic issues," but they should be "resolved at the negotiating table, not by making demarches for no reason."

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The CSTO summit began on Nov. 23, in Minsk, Belarus.

On Nov. 14, Lukashenko invited Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan to the CSTO meeting, but the latter refused the invitation.

Secretary of the Armenian Security Council Armen Grigoryan stated that Armenia's presence in the CSTO, which is essentially led by Russia, creates "certain problems" for Armenia, while it is important for Yerevan to cooperate with Western partners on security issues.

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On Nov. 15, Pashinyan assured that his country is not preparing to withdraw from the CSTO, despite the fact that it will not participate in the next meeting of the CSTO Security Council.

The CSTO is a military alliance that includes Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine

Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Emil Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.

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Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS