Three candidacies to be viewed for CSTO secretary general post: Russian presidential aide

Heads of the CSTO member states will discuss the issue of election of new CSTO secretary general at the organization’s council session on November 8 in Astana, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told the reporters.

The new secretary general is to replace Armenia’s representative Yuri Khachaturov who was recalled and dismissed from post.

Ushakov said three candidacies will be viewed for the post, TASS reports.

“The issue will be discussed in a closed regime. Three possible options are being viewed. One of them is that by 2020 the acting CSTO secretary general will be Russia’s representative Valery Semerikov or representative of Belarus will be elected as Belarus is to follow Armenia in the nomination for this post,” he said, adding that the third variant, insisted by Armenia is election of the Armenian representative by May 2020.

Ushakov said it is difficult to forecast what decision the heads of states will make.