WILL VARTAN OSKANIAN CRITICIZE CSTO?

Azg/arm
12 Nov 04

On November 11, Vartan Oskanian will leave for Moscow to participate
in the regular sitting of foreign ministers within the framework
of Collective Security Treaty Organization. The organization was
established in 1992 and included the six former Soviet republics:
Armenia, Russia, Byelorussia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzia.

CSTO is a military-political structure and, according to the regulation
of the organization an attack against one of the organizationâ~@~Ys
members means an attack against the rest of them. Thus, if for
example, Azerbaijan attacks Armenia, Kazakhstan and the rest four
countries treat it as an attack against them. CSTO, as high ranked
Armenian officials stated for several times, is one of components of
Armeniaâ~@~Ys security.

The recent events testify that CSTO member-countries can not only
refuse supporting one of the member countries, but also support a
third country that is no member of the organization. On October 27,
at Bakuâ~@~Ys initiative, the issue “Situation in Azerbaijanâ~@~Ys
Occupied Territories” was included on the agenda of UN General
Assembly. During the voting only 43 countries, including Kazakhstan
and Kyrgyzia, two CSTO member countries, supported Azerbaijanâ~@~Ys
initiative.

One should suppose that Vartan Oskanian is going to dwell on this
unnatural phenomenon during his speech at foreign ministersâ~@~Y
regular sitting in Moscow. It â~@~Ys a principal issue for Armenia. If
two countries being in one security system with Armenia not only fail
to support us, but also take steps against the vital interests of
Armenia, who can guarantee that in case of Azerbaijanâ~@~Ys aggression
against Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzia will render military support
to very Azerbaijan.

By Tatoul Hakobian

–Boundary_(ID_oHt+9B2IYITw4LTlMojcYg)–