MEETING OF COLLECTIVE SECURITY BODY SILENT ON GEORGIA CONFLICT
by Grace Annan
World Markets Research Centre
Global Insight
September 4, 2008
Armenia has hosted a brief meeting of the Collective Security Treaty
Organisation (ODKB) with moderate results. Comprising Armenia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, the ODBK is
a military and security alliance of the CIS states. The participants
of the meeting signed 13 documents, mostly detailing the particulars
coordinating activities of the army, fire and emergency relief
agencies; other documents include anti-drug trafficking measures,
the formation of common information security system and the collective
plan for the realisation of the UN anti-terrorism strategy.
Significance:The comments of Armenia’s National Security Secretary
Artur Baghdasarian were notable primarily for the lack of reference to
the crisis in Georgia, a subject that was undoubtedly central to the
meeting discussions. In the absence of heads of states, no statements
could be reasonably expected with regard to recognition or otherwise of
Georgia’s breakaway republics, but ideas were exchanged about responses
to further potential military actions in the region. ODKB has gradually
acquired the role of an instrument for the preservation of its members’
governments, due to the agreement to render mutual assistance in case
of "popular disturbances", or electoral revolutions. Russia could
not receive such automatic support in case of its advancement into
Georgia, but has most likely worked to increase the capacities of the
organisation, which it would ideally see as a formidable alliance
bloc similar to NATO. Baghdasarian’s hint that "members agreed to
strengthen the role of the organisation in the resolution of regional
issues" suggest some progress on the matter.