SAFER THIS WAY: THE CIS COLLECTIVE SECURITY TREATY ORGANIZATION RECOGNIZED RUSSIA’S RIGHTNESS BUT NOT SOUTH OSSETIA WITH ABKHAZIA
by Arkady Dubnov

WPS Agency
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
September 10, 2008 Wednesday
Russia

SUMMIT OF THE CIS COLLECTIVE SECURITY TREATY ORGANIZATION LIVED UP
TO SOME OF THE KREMLIN’S EXPECTATIONS; An update on the summit of
the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization in Moscow.

The summit over, President Dmitry Medvedev said that its final
declaration included "an indisputably negative evaluation of the
Georgian aggression against South Ossetia." When journalists were
given the document, however, the term "aggression" was found missing
from the text. The situation in the Caucasus warranted only four
paragraphs, the most important of them going as follows: "members
of the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization are concerned
over the Georgian attempt to settle the conflict in South Ossetia
by sheer strength of arms, one that resulted in numerous deaths of
noncombatants and peacekeepers and grave humanitarian consequences."

The declaration also proclaimed "support of the active part Russia
played in facilitation of peace and cooperation in the region and in
maintenance of security for South Ossetia and Abkhazia." The use of
preposition "for" is of paramount importance for the Kremlin because
it was also used in the six-principle variant Medvedev and Sarkozy
agreed on in Moscow on August 12.

A look at the following premise makes it plain whose interests the
final declaration promotes. "Countries of the CIS Collective Security
Treaty Organization urge NATO countries to weigh all consequences of
the Alliance’s eastward expansion and installation of new objects of
the ABM defense system near the borders of the member states." Coupled
with Medvedev’s determination to strengthen the military component of
the Organization and whip up discipline in the matter of fulfillment of
its decisions, and the conclusion is inescapable: the Kremlin is using
a different tone with its partners now. Bargaining for various economic
and security preferences now, its partners may be asked to deliver –
if not obedience as such, then at least a proper consideration of
Moscow’s geopolitical interests.

As for the principal item on the agenda (situation in the Caucasus),
the summit quite predictably ducked the recognition of South Ossetia
and Abkhazia.

All of that raises questions concerning the promises Russian Security
Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev made in the wake of a conference
with his Organization colleagues in Yerevan (Armenia) in early
September. Patrushev said then that secretaries of national Security
Councils had backed Moscow’s call to outlaw all arms deals with
Georgia. The subject of the embargo in the meantime was never raised
either in the public statements or in the final declaration. Neither
was the subject of adopting South Ossetia and Abkhazia as members
of the Organization its Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha had
insisted on…

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress