Armenian expert: "The first examination for the CSTO fast response forces might become Armenia's defense when hostilities in the Karabakh conflict area are resumed"

He said Armenia "is interested in the real militarization of CSTO as earlier the organization was more engaged with bureaucratic activity: Armenia, which is currently presiding over CSTO, is interested in the soonest creation of fast response forces, of which country's president Serzh Sargsyan declared in Moscow", noted the expert.

"The fact that the Armenian President stressed the need for the soonest creation of joint armed forces of CSTO, proves that he is concerned with the situation in the Karabakh conflict and really the situation on the front line is alarming and the fire exchange at the front has become common", continued Yakubyan.

At the same time, the expert noted that creation of the fast response forces is a response to NATO's unwillingness to take the "post-Soviet defense bloc" seriously".

"The North Atlantic alliance has almost ignored numerous appeals of the CSTO leadership on cooperation. The decision to establish fast response forces is the statement of CSTO readiness to open competition with NATO in the post-Soviet area. In this contest Azerbaijan and Moldova's accession would be a real breakthrough for CSTO, though it is difficult to reckon on it now.

On the other hand, the North Atlantic alliance will try to undermine the influence of the new military and political union (before the decision to create the fast response forces CSTO was a political bloc). Armenia is the most vulnerable point in the CSTO responsibility area. Once secretary general of the organization Nikolai Bordyuzha said in open that CSTO will not interfere with the Karabakh conflict in case it is resumed. But what if Armenia interferes with the conflict? The CSTO members do not and will not have a consolidated position in this issue", concluded Viktor Yakubyan.

/Regnum/