CSTO SPUTTERED OUT AS MILITARY ORGANIZATION

news.am
Nov 25 2009
Armenia

CSTO sputtered out as military structure and block to counterbalance
NATO, as unlike North-Atlantic alliance it does not have global
organization and material base to unite all member states, Gevorg
Aghbalyan told NEWS.am.

According to him, CSTO member states have conflicting geopolitical
interests and CSTO membership is of formal nature. "For instance,
Russia’s membership to CSTO does not prevent from expanding military
cooperation with Azerbaijan (not a block member) and Turkey-NATO
member. The mentioned two states are a direct threat to other CSTO
member-Armenia. In case hostility resumes in Karabakh conflict zone,
it is difficult to imagine that Central Asian states will lend a hand
of help to &’CSTO brother’- Armenia. They are likely to help GUAM
member — Azerbaijan, having economic and energy ties with the state,"
underlined expert. According to Aghbalyan, in the course of his visits
to Yerevan, CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha was repeatedly
asked whether CSTO will interfere if the military actions resume.

However, his replies are unclear and evasive.

Aghbalyan outlined that CSTO cannot lay claims to the regional actor
role in the South Caucasus, as it cooperates only with Armenia, unlike
NATO that works with three South Caucasian countries. "CSTO is not
taken seriously both by member states and NATO. Thus, Bordyuzha’s
hand of friendship extended to NATO is up in the air."