On May 19, the session of the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers commenced in Dushanbe in a narrow, then in an expanded format, with the participation of the Armenian delegation headed by Acting Foreign Minister Ara Aivazian.

Following the discussions held the previous day, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia presented in detail the security situation in the CSTO Caucasus region, focusing on the escalation of the situation as a result of the infiltration of the Azerbaijani armed forces into the border regions of the Republic of Armenia. “The infiltration of the Azerbaijani armed forces into the sovereign territory of Armenia poses a direct threat to the security, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the CSTO member state, which is a challenge for the collective security system of the Organization,” said Acting Minister Aivazian.

The Foreign Minister of Armenia briefed his counterparts that the CSTO emergency response procedure is becoming urgent in the current conditions, by which the issues of monitoring the situation, assessing the situation on the ground, developing proposals for further measures, and establishing a relevant multilateral mission are also enshrined.

Touching upon the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Ara Aivazian stressed that the use of force by Azerbaijan in any case cannot lead to the settlement of the conflict. The conflict should be settled exclusively on the political-diplomatic platform, under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, on the basis of the joint and comprehensive implementation of the principles developed by that mediation mission.

The agenda of the session included issues regarding the regional and international situation and the impact on the security of the member states, the cooperation of the member states with international organizations, and the actions undertaken towards increasing the efficiency of the organization.

As a result of the meeting, the Foreign Ministers adopted and approved a number of documents aimed at cooperation between the CSTO member states in various directions.

Before the launch of the ministerial session, the heads of the delegations of the CSTO member states and the CSTO Secretary General held a meeting with the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon.