Lukashenko condemns Armenia's absence on Collective Security Treaty Organisation summit

Self-proclaimed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has condemned Armenia's absence from the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) summit, calling it a "demarche".

Source: European Pravda with reference to the Belarusian state agency Belta

Quote from Lukashenko: "We came to the conclusion that there have always been and will be problematic issues. If we want to solve them, we need to do it at the negotiating table, but not to make demarches without reasons, without specific reasons."

Details: At the meeting, the CSTO members discussed the situation in the Caucasus and "some dissatisfaction of a Collective Security Council’s member", referring to Armenia's decision not to attend the organisation's summit in Minsk.

Background:

• Russian dictator Vladimir Putin arrived in Minsk for a session of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), which was ignored by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
• Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Aleinik said decisions in the CSTO are made through consensus, and the decisions will be legitimate even in the absence of the Armenian side.
• Armen Grigoryan, Secretary of Armenia's Security Council, explained that the country ignored the previous CSTO meetings because it "had numerous questions" for the organisation, which still have no answers.
• Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,  accused Armenia of "trying to sit on two chairs" because Yerevan is improving relations with the West.

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