CSTO and Armenia’s security (animation)

Since 1994 Armenia has been a member of the Collective Security Treaty, which was then transformed into the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).  Let’s see how the membership to this organization contributed to the security of Armenia and Karabakh.

Azerbaijan has remained the main threat to the security of Armenia and Karabakh throughout the past 20 years… And as long as the United States and Western European countries are refusing to sell any arms to Azerbaijan, it is, with great enthusiasm, done by Armenia’s so-called allies in CSTO – Russia and Belarus.

Another member of the CSTO, Kazakhstan, is considered one of the strongest political supporters of Baku and openly supports Azerbaijan, while Nursultan Nazarbayev always finds an excuse for not visiting Armenia.

As a reminder, Belarus made a statement supporting Azerbaijan during the April war, while Russia has supplied Baku with 85 percent of offensive armament in recent years, which enabled Azerbaijan to attack Armenia and take control of some territories. Stopping Azerabaijani offensive costed around a hundred lives.

Against this background it is not surprising that none of the CSTO member countries condemned Azerbaijan not only for attacking Karabakh on April 2016, but also for shelling peaceful villages and killing civilians in Tavush region, an indisputable part of Armenia, on September 2015.  And this in spite of the fact, that the CSTO member states were obliged not only to condemn Baku, but also offer military assistance to Armenia to protect the borders of Tavush region.

During the October 14, 2016 CSTO summit in Yerevan, the Russian Foreign Minister said that Turkey can have a positive impact on the Karabakh conflict, thus encouraging Turkey’s greater participation in the Karabakh issue.

Even more, though it was envisaged that during the summit, a new CSTO Secretary General would be elected by Armenia’s proposal, none of it happened either.

Nevertheless, the Armenian side was forced to join the statement against the NATO anti-missile systems development and deployment… Despite the fact that NATO missile systems are exclusively defensive weapons and have no connection to Armenia. Moreover, Armenia has been a NATO Partner country since 2005, and Turkey is the only one among NATO member states who supplies arms to Azerbaijan, even significantly less that Russia does.

***

It’s hard to tell who needs this military alliance if even during the bombing of civilian areas in one of its member states, other states do not offer military support, not even condemning the aggressor, and continue to sell him weapons.

And as long as the CSTO is trying to compete with NATO, it should be noted that if any country bombs a peaceful settlement in one of NATO member countries, it will have serious problems with NATO member countries just a few hours later… And to imagine that NATO will sell weapons to the enemy of one of its member states is simply beyond possible.

 

 

Union of Informed Citizens

Related Posts: