Armenia’s Security Can’t be Linked Only with CSTO

Armenia satisfies its security with a few components, said Analytical Center on Globalisation and Regional Cooperation (ACGRC) Board Chair, political analyst Stepan Grigoryan, speaking on the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) summit set to take place in two days in Yerevan and Armenia’s CSTO membership. 

“Our bilateral cooperation is with Russia, and not with the CSTO. Armenia doesn’t even have a common land border with CSTO member countries; it’s clear that that mechanism can’t be ideal for our security. Though that mechanism doesn’t have much weight in our security, but even with that mechanism there are many positive aspects for us,” said the analyst, adding that one of those positive aspects is that in the CSTO Treaty there’s a point that Armenia is obligated to make use of and to constantly remind CSTO members.

“There’s a 4th point according to which if an outside state threatens a CSTO member state with force or begins military actions [against the member state], the other member states are obligated to assist, protect [the state under attack], which is also a restraining mechanism for Azerbaijan’s activities directed against us. Russia, in privileged conditions, provides arms, ammunition and military equipment to those states that are CSTO members and even Armenia has taken advantage of that. I’m not saying that positive is a lot, but you must use it. But we can’t link the security of our future with only that organization,” said Grigoryan.