Why did Armenia apply to CSTO without resorting to armed resistance? Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan spoke about the issue in detail at today’s Government session.
“All those who have read at least a few paragraphs of CSTO treaties will know that CSTO is just for overcoming crisis situations without firing,” said the Acting Prime Minister, adding, “It is an origination that invites others to shoot. It is an organization the mechanisms of which should be used to prevent escalation and to regulate escalation through political and diplomatic means. And this is the essence of CSTO.”
According to the Acting Prime Minister, within the framework of structures such as CSTO, if the shootings start, they can most likely turn into a major regional war, if not, in some scenarios, a larger-scale war.
“In this regard, it is much better to understand the purpose of the actions of the Azerbaijani side. One option was to provoke a war. We must focus our attention on the fact that this operation, particularly in Syunik province, is carried out in the narrowest part of the territory of the Republic of Armenia, which is about 26 km wide. And if the situation got out of control, uncontrollable events could develop there, which could then cause us a lot of problems. So, I think our approach to resolving the issue through our international security mechanisms is right. At the moment, at least, it justifies itself, but until the fact happens, we cannot say that we have achieved our goal that way,” Pashinyan said.
He does not rule out that the purpose of such Azerbaijani actions is to influence the domestic political processes in Armenia, to influence the results of the upcoming snap elections, and perhaps to provide political support to the “propaganda agency network” in Armenia.
“However, I believe in this situation we must act beyond all propaganda. Because the moment is very responsible, we have clearly stated and continue to state that the stabilization of the region is important for us,” said the Acting Prime Minister.
