YEREVAN (ArmRadio)—As a full member of the CSTO, Armenia will be protected in the event of ‘critical situations,’ the organization’s secretary general told a video conference from Moscow on Tuesday.
General Niklolay Bordyuzha, who heads the Collective Security Treaty Organization, of which Armenia, along with other CIS countries is a member, stressed that in any critical situation CSTO will assist Armenia as its complete member.
“Armenia has the same rights and responsibilities as the other members have. In this case Armenia has right to get assistance for its territorial integrity,” Bordyuzha said adding that the type and volume of assistance will depend on the current critical situation.
Bordyuzha also said that the CSTO did not mediate the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, saying that the OSCE Minsk Group is the international entity tasked with the peace process.
CSTO secretary-general said that the organization has not only military but political and peacekeeping potential.
Bordyuzha announced that he will be visiting Yerevan next month to discuss the completion of agreements made between the presidents of Russia and Armenia.
Along with Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan are also members of the CSTO, which is a security alliance borne after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova opted out of joining the CSTO and formed their own alliance known as GUAM.
Bordyuzha, who was speaking at the Novosti media center in Moscow enumerated the various coordinating activities between member states and called that effort a success.
The Secretary-General said that existing mechanisms in the CSTO charter allow the member states to work together during critical situations and in the prevention of illegal drug trade and immigration.
He also explained that the CSTO has cooperated with 22 countries, especially in efforts to curb illegal drug trade.
Will they look the other way,and BLINK.
In the ongoing war-talk climate – all fronts must be on 24-hour red alert readiness.
Should there be a massive outbreak of hostilities – NK territory is outside the CSTO brief.
However it would be foolhardy for the adversary to attempt NK status change.
Likewise NK independence recognition must wait.
We thank the CSTO countries along with Russia for support for Armenia in case of any attack by neighboring countries. Without Russia’s support Armenia would be in a desparate situation. Also we thank Iran whom also gives Armenia Gas & Oil along with other supplies.
Personally I don’t think CSTO will ever need to protect Armenia. Turkey knows you can’t go to war with nuclear Russia.
Alex, I believe it was NATO and the US who looked the other way and blinked when Georgia was invaded by Russian troops. Russia has a better track record of keeping its word.
TRUE.
If the saying “history repeats itself” has any valuable lesson for Armenians then they should not rely on anyone to protect Armenia, and that includes Russia. The political- (or otherwise) – lovemaking between Lenin and Ataturk cost us Kars, Ardahan, Nakhichevan, Akhalkalak, Akhlaktskha, and Artsakh, only the latter we were able to get back.
Therefore, any political figure in Russia giving a half-hearted support to Armenia must come clean about the Bolshevik government’s crimes against the Armenian nation in the 1918-1920 years, if they want to be taken as credible friends of Armenia. If tomorrow Baku gives any indication of approaching Moscow in a friendly gesture, they, the Russians, will not only sell out Karabakh Armenians, but the entire Armenian Republic will be a bargaining chip for the Kremlin, to do as they wish.
Been there, seen that!
The CSTO should add Syria to it’s membership because this would help protect the Russian naval base in Tarsus. This would allow President Assad to crush the Muslim Brotherhood terrorists in the so-called Free Syrian army . God forbid that they wiin because it would be a disaster for Syria’s Christians. Israel is behind this whole thing. Don’t forget that there is a pro-American faction of the Muslim Brotherhood that the CIA supports while the US government is fighting against the anti-American faction of the Muslim Brotherhood which was renamed “Al Quaida”. Everyone of the 9/11 highjackers were Muslim Brotherhood members.
Last time Russia was forced to pull out of the Caucasus as a result of the Bolshevik revolution Armenians suffered a near genocide and Armenia suffered severe mutilation. For those of us Armenians who still have normally functioning brains, the formula is rather simple: No Russia in the Caucasus means no Armenia in the Caucasus. The Russian Federation is the last front against NATO expansionism, Islamic fundamentalism, American imperialism, Zionism, Globalism and pan-Turkism. Russia’s presence as a regional superpower makes the very existence of Armenia possible in the Caucasus. Had it not been for Moscow, the entire south Caucasus would have been turned into a Turkic/Islamic cesspool and a playground for Western energy exploiters.
I agree with you 100% Avetis.
Plus the Armenians have a lot of clout in Russia.
When Armenians in the western world swallow their empty pride and end their Cold War derived anti-Russian biases they may just realize that Armenians can be in Russia what Jews are in America. Russian-Armenians are by far the most affluent diasporan group in the world yet they have the least amount of respect by “western” Armenians. Armenia survives today in the violent Caucasus thanks to Russia and Russian-Armenians. In fact, Amerika-Hays are becoming a serious liability for Armenia.