CSTO Will Intervene Only if ‘Territory of Armenia’ is Attacked

The Collective Security Treaty Organization, which Armenia is a member of, will provide Armenia with military assistance in case of a real threat to the country’s territorial integrity, said the the group’s Secretary General Stanislav Zas on Thursday.

Zas’ statement, which echoed similar remarks made by Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggests that the six-member security bloc will not act on its mandate unless Azerbaijan strikes at Armenian proper. Since Artsakh is not recognized as being part of Armenia, then Yerevan will not receive help from its allies.

“When real threats are created for any CSTO member country’s security, stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity, then this country is entitled to apply to the CSTO. Thus the inter-state, including emergency consultations mechanisms are activated and the necessary help or assistance is provided to that country in accordance to its request,” Zas said.

Another scenario for CSTO intervention, he said, is in the even of a military attack.

“Aggression against one member state of the CSTO is considered to be an attack on all members, and in that event, based on an application of the country that is under attack the CSTO will provide any kind of assistance, including military,” the CSTO head said. “In such cases the CSTO response regime is initiated.”

However, Armenia’s territory was attacked in July, when Azerbaijan launched a brazen attack on civilian and military targets in the Tavush Province. The CSTO did not intervene.

Russia has always fulfilled, is fulfilling and will continue to fulfill all its obligations to Armenia within the mandates of the CSTO, Putin said in an interview on the Russia-1 television channel on Wednesday.

“As you know, Armenia is a member of the CSTO, and we have certain obligations to Armenia within the framework of this treaty. However, the military operations, which are still ongoing, are not taking place on the territory of Armenia,” Putin said.

“As for Russia’s fulfillment of its obligations within the confines of that treaty, we have always fulfilled, are fulfilling and will continue to fulfill our obligations. As you know, we are in constant, working contact with the Prime Minister of Armenia, and Armenia’s leadership does not have any questions regarding the quality of Russia’s fulfillment of its allied obligations,” Putin said.

In an interview with AFP on Tuesday, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that he and his government were confident that Russia would fulfill its obligations under the CSTO mandates.....asbarez.com

-