What’s Armenia’s role in CSTO?—Serzh Sargsyan clarifies

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is not aimed against anyone. The Treaty signatories were concerned with security in the area of the organization, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview to MIR TV.

“Here we speak about collective benefit which is derived as a result of combination of efforts. This is our position and the sooner the process of adaptation of the CSTO to the present realities takes place the more the Member States of the Organization will benefit,” the Armenian President said.

To the question which are the main challenges facing the CSTO and particularly Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan answered, “In the contemporary world challenges and threats arise in different ways. Security threats are multi-layered. For us the situation in the region is a threat.

I speak about Azerbaijan that wants to solve Nagorno Karabakh conflict by military ways. We are the security guarantor of the people of Nagorno Karabakh that is why it is the first threat, the first challenge facing us,” President Sargsyan said. He added that only 400 kms separate Armenia from the territories where the “Islamic State” operates.

This means that the developments in the Middle East are indirectly linked with our security. If we take into account that many citizens from the CIS member states are involved in the operations of the “Islamic State” it’s clear that sooner or later people with war experience will appear in our region who resort to barbaric methods and can create additional complications in the efforts of ensuring the fragile stability.

Unfortunately we hear conversations in the Arabic language and other unclear voices in the opposite side of the contact line. We think that people who have abandoned the Middle East start to be involved in the conflicts of our region.

This is of course very dangerous and there are also many other threats in the contemporary world, they are very many”, Serzh Sargsyan said. Referring to the question about Armenia’s role in the CSTO, the Armenian President said, “Armenia is among the founders of the CSTO and this factor brings more responsibilities for Yerevan. We see our role in the implementation of the requirements and obligations put by the Organization. Because I think it’s the first thing all the Member States of the Organization should do.

The world changes. 25 years ago probably no one would think that terrorism would emerge reaching such large scales. That’s why our organization has to get adapted and develop. Last year we adopted the strategy of the Collective Security for the period until 2025 during the CSTO Council session in Yerevan.

It had been a priority for us since the beginning of our chairmanship over the Organization and we managed to bring it into life. The key development directions of our Organization are clearly pointed out in that strategy.

I think both Armenia and the other stakeholders are interested in the development of the CSTO,” the Armenian President said. Serzh Sargsyan refrained from comparing the CSTO with the NATO, emphasizing that any organization pursues its goals and tasks from the very beginning any organization gets accomplished on its own.

“We must take into account that path experienced organizations have passed. There is nothing shameful in applying the positive experience of others. I think the goals and tasks the Member States put in front of them when creating our Organization are realistic and are in the interest of all the Member States. That’s why I reiterate, our goal is to develop the CSTO, we have to develop in order others try to compare us with other organizations,” President Serzh Sargsyan said.