On April 3 Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian participated in the sitting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Issues of international and regional security were on the agenda.
The participants of the meeting adopted a joint statement on the continuing crisis in Syria and the escalation of the situation in the northwest of the country.
The Foreign Ministers of CSTO member states expressed their deep concern over the occupation of Kessab by the Al-Qaeda-linked armed groups, which resulted in human losses and forced deportation of the Armenian population.
“We severely criticize the terrorist actions and the application of force against the peaceful population. We call to end violence and ensure the safe return of the refugees. We are confident that the stabilization of the situation is possible only in case of exclusion of any foreign intervention and launching of a broad political dialogue with consideration of interests of all Syrian Armenians irrespective of nationality and religion,” the statement reads.
The CSTO Foreign Ministers urged all interested parties to work in full compliance with international law and to end the bloodshed and reach a peaceful solution on the basis of the Geneva Convention of June 30, 2012.”
