Armenia not considering withdrawal from CSTO- parliament committee chairman

Armenia is not considering now withdrawal from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the chairman of the parliamentary committee on foreign relations Eduard Aghajanyan from the ruling Civil Contract party of Prime Minister Pashinyan said today.

YEREVAN, September 20. /ARKA/. Armenia is not considering now withdrawal from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the chairman of the parliamentary committee on foreign relations Eduard Aghajanyan from the ruling Civil Contract party of Prime Minister Pashinyan said today.

"At present, leaving the CSTO will not give us any practical effect. On the contrary, such a step may cause risks which Armenia does not need at the moment," Eduard Aghajanyan said.

"It is a fact that the last three incidents (unprovoked attacks by Azerbaijani troops on Armenia) have not received any assessment by our CSTO partners. As far as Armenia is concerned the organization demonstrates if not total dysfunctionality, then functionality problems," the deputy said.

Secretary of Armenia's Security Council Armen Grigoryan told Azatutyun Radio on September 16 that Armenia, when it applied to the CSTO, expected military and political assistance to protect its sovereignty and help drive Azerbaijani troops from Armenia's sovereign territory they had invaded on September 13 and 14, but it has not yet been fulfilled. "Our expectations have not been met," Grigoryan said.

Around midnight on September 13, the armed forces of Azerbaijan launched a large-scale attack in the southern and southeastern directions of the Republic of Armenia, encroaching on the territorial integrity of Armenia.

The aggression was carried out with the use of artillery, mortars and UAVs, including not only in the Armenia-Azerbaijan bordering area, but also in the areas of Sotk, Vardenis, Goris, Kapan, Artanish and Ishkhanasar settlements and their civilian infrastructure of Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor and Syunik regions.

On September 14, Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to cease fire on the border as of 8 p.m. Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council Armen Grigoryan said in an interview with the Public Television of Armenia. that the ceasefire was brokered by Armenia's international partners. According to Prime Minister Pashinyan, 207 Armenian soldiers were killed and went missing in clashes with Azerbaijani troops. -0-