Expert: Attraction of Khachaturov as a defendant in the criminal case  may negatively affect Armenia`s image in CSTO

ArmInfo.  Attraction of Yuri  Khachaturov as a defendant in the criminal case may negatively affect  the image of Armenia in the CSTO. The director of the Caucasus  Institute Alexander Iskandaryan expressed this opinion at the press  conference.

He recalled that Khachaturov's appointment as Secretary General of  the Collective Security Treaty Organization was difficult due to the  opposition of Belarus and Kazakhstan, and only with the assistance of  Russia this became possible. "Taking into account all this, the  recent processes will lead to additional difficulties for Armenia  within the organization," Iskandaryan assured.

At the same time, he considered it more expedient to first withdraw  Khachaturov from the post of CSTO secretary general, and only then  begin the procedure for his replacement. "All these legal procedures  can cause opposition of member states," the expert said. According to  him, CSTO members can negatively react to the arrest of the second  president of Armenia. "However, Armenia should explain to all clearly  that all this should be considered exclusively in the context of  internal political processes," Iskandaryan said.

Khachaturov is held as a defendant on March 1, 2008, he is charged  with overthrowing the constitutional order in Armenia. At present, he  is released on bail, since he has diplomatic immunity. Armenia  appealed to CSTO members to begin the procedure for recalling  Khachaturov. So far only Moscow has responded to this. Russia's  response was tough by diplomatic standards: "In a telephone  conversation with Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan,  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that it was Armenia that  should withdraw the General Secretary if such a decision was made in  Yerevan."