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On November 25 the RA NA Deputy Speaker, the Head of the RA NA Delegation to the CSTO PA Eduard Sharmazanov took part in the International Scientific-Practical Conference “The Prior Directions of the Inter-parliamentary Cooperation Aimed at Strengthening of the Collective and International Security in the CSTO Format” in Saint Petersburg, where he delivered a speech, particularly noting:

“Dear colleagues,

The international situation continues remaining tense around the CSTO. I should note that during this period both positive and negative tendencies have been noticed. Undoubtedly, during the past period the key positive change was the signature of the agreement on the nuclear program of Iran in July of this year.

The events of the recent period confirm the growth of various threats, first of all, terrorist threats. Terrorism is strengthened by quantitatively, ideologically and financially, playing decisive role in the regional issues. The series of terrorist acts that took place recently in Egypt, Lebanon and Paris are its vivid evidence.

During the last years the Armenians have felt all the negative consequences of terrorism directly on their skin. Thousands of Syrian Armenians had to emigrate from Syria because of the situation there. The terrorists of the “Islamic State” exploded the Armenian Surb Nahatakats/Saint Martyrs’ Church of the Syrian Deir Ez-Zor city/ The explosion of the church is a classical example of barbarism.

The international community should put an end to the terrorists’ acts, stop the financial flows feeding them, ban the use of the territories of the third states for inter-border attacks, recruiting and transiting of the foreign armed people.

Here, I would also like to stop a little thoroughly, as the non-adequate response of some states in our region is evident in combating the terrorism. It is not news for us: still at the beginning of the 90s the territory of Azerbaijan was turned into a centre, where the terrorist Mojahedins were preparing their acts to be held in the Caucasian Region. There the terrorists, as Shamil Bassaev and the ones like him repeatedly were finding asylum.

Dear colleagues,

It is worth noting that in September Azerbaijan began using hard artillery, regularly keeping under shelling the settlements of the Republic of Armenia.

During the last months peaceful civilians fell victims to the Azerbaijani assaults, including women. What name can be given to this policy? The civilians’ murder is not but terrorism.

The absence of the appropriate response by the international community, including the CSTO on Azerbaijan’s provoking steps can result in the re-starting of the military actions in the zone of the responsibility of the organization.

We call on everybody to reject the use of the force in our region. As they used to say in Ancient Rome: In times of war, the law falls silent.

We consider inadmissible the crash of the Russian Su-24 warplane by Turkey that was combating terrorism on the eve.

In the international organizations not always we vote in the same way on the issues important for each of our countries. We shall activate our efforts to oppose the diverse initiatives and steps which contradict the interests of several CSTO member states or even one of them.

At the end I would like to mention that we are aimed at serious cooperation with the CSTO colleagues for the benefit of strengthening our allied relations, the further rise of protective level of our states, as well as the reinforcement of the CSTO potential in the field of new challenges and counteraction of threats.

Thank you very much.”