NATO Or CSTO? Where Do Armenia’s Interests Lie?

NATO OR CSTO? WHERE DO ARMENIA’S INTERESTS LIE?

Tert.am
16:17, 25.11.09

"Taking into consideration all concerns, Armenia must think about where
its national interests lie today, to NATO or to CSTO," said Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun, or ARF-D) MP and Chair of
the Standing Parliamentary Committee on Defense, National Security
and Internal Affairs Hrayr Karapetyan while speaking to journalists
today. He is sure that today Armenia’s national interests dictate
that Armenia must do its best to have a more active role in CSTO
(Collective Security Treaty Organisatin), as well as continue its
cooperation with NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).

Armenia is a CSTO member, and has been cooperating with CSTO since
2002, within the frames of the Individual Action Plan. In both CSTO
and NATO, according to Karapetyan, there are a number of concerns
for Armenia.

Karapetyan particularly stated that in NATO’s case, the fact that one
NATO member state arms and provides military support to another member
state in the same alliance gives cause for anxiety. The ARF-D MP was
referring to Turkey, which, being the NATO member country that has
the strongest military force, arms and provides military assistance
to Azerbaijan.

In CSTO’s case, according to Karapetyan, the deepening of cooperation
between Russia and Turkey also gives cause for concern.

The concerns mentioned above, according to the MP, must compel Armenia
to be better-oriented in the issue of becoming a part of military
alliances or in cooperating with them.