CSTO summit in Bishkek - Pashinyan misses the boat - COMMENT

There is a good old saying: "On an empty square, jackals imagine themselves to be wolves." This is so true about Armenia, its officials of various ranks, who, having barely seized the moment, are launching anti-Azerbaijani propaganda. And when they hear the voice of support for the fair position of Azerbaijan, they immediately get lost, bicker and begin to lie openly, distorting the facts.

All this was once again confirmed on November 28 at the CSTO summit in Bishkek. The summit was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kazakh President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The agenda included the approval of the candidacy of the new secretary general of the organization, Belarus representative Stanislav Zas. He will assume the office on January 1, 2020. It should be reminded that the representative of Armenia Yuri Khachaturov, who previously held the post of the CSTO Secretary General, was relieved of his position because of accusations of participation in the March 2008 events and attempt to overthrow the government in the country. On November 8 last year, at the CSTO summit in Astana, it was decided that the representative of Belarus would become the organization’s secretary general. The Collective Security Treaty Organization includes Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and Tajikistan.

In fact, the Armenian authorities, led by Nikol Pashinyan, arrested Yuri Khachaturov. After some time, he was released, and now lives in Russia. Having missed the boat, Nikol Pashinyan, whose ambitions were not satisfied, as they say, was on the rampage at the current summit. In his speech there was not a word echoing the political vector of the CSTO and democracy, about which he shouted loudly from the barricades and in the wake of which he came to power in Armenia. Instead, he traditionally started to blame Azerbaijan. As they say, he tried to put his own blame on someone else. Well, and, of course, he spoke about Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Pashinyan tearfully complained about Azerbaijan’s readiness to liberate its lands by military means, apparently seeking help and support. He stated that all this is “very dangerous for the CSTO,” urging the rest of the participants to stand up for Armenia. Apparently, Pashinyan forgot that the principle of territorial integrity is still in place. And in the event of a military solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijan will restore its territorial integrity by returning the lands occupied by Armenia. And how can that threaten the CSTO?! Apparently, Pashinyan’s logic again played a cruel joke with him. In addition, the CSTO charter provides for the protection of the territories of a bloc member country, but Nagorno-Karabakh is not the territory of Armenia, but  the Azerbaijani land, which is recognized internationally. Accusing Azerbaijan of building up the power of its army and purchasing modern weapons, the Armenian prime minister said that this is increasing tension, which, in his opinion, is "dangerous not only for the South Caucasus, but also for the CSTO countries." The absurdity of Pashinyan's statements is obvious. It is worth noting that Azerbaijan maintains excellent relations with all CSTO countries, of course, with the exception of the occupying country - Armenia. And it is clear that equipping the Azerbaijani army does not entail any threat for any other CSTO members. Armenia is an occupier encroaching on the territory of its neighbors - Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran and Georgia. These countries maintain good relations with the CSTO member countries. Azerbaijani-Russian, Turkish-Russian and Iranian-Russian relations are a vivid example of this.

Armenia is excluded from regional cooperation due to its aggressive position, which doomed the country to beggarly existence. Armenia's economy is completely dependent, which creates the danger of a third party joining the region and the CSTO through Armenia. Armenia is dependent on external financial sources, fills and fawns with outstretched hands, the country's population emigrates en masse in search of a better life. Bowing in reverence to either Russia or the West, Armenia is trying to thereby extend its existence. In addition, the country's authorities are politically illiterate. And such a country, simply a burden, is a member of the CSTO, damaging the image of the organization.

A resolution was adopted on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict at the organization’s summit in Minsk in 2017. The document expressed support for the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group and noted the commitment to the three basic principles of the Helsinki Final Act - territorial integrity, the right of peoples to self-determination and non-use of force. Then Armenia was concerned not so much with the resolution adopted, but with the fact that the organization in 2018 was chaired by Kazakhstan, which openly supported Azerbaijan’s fair position in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Getting back to the CSTO summit in Bishkek, we would like to note that Nikol Pashinyan, who apparently lacks common sense and logic, could not find anything better than accusing Azerbaijan of supporting extremism, saying "Azerbaijan is a favorable platform for the transfer of extremists." He did not mention the directions of transferring extremists. Maybe from Iran to Russia, or from Armenia and Georgia to Russia and Iran? His statements are just ridiculous. And they sound especially ridiculous when voiced by the prime minister of a country supporting terrorism in the person of ASALA and PKK. And these are not unfounded statements, but real facts. What facts does Pashinyan appeal to? What kind of documentary evidence can he provide? In general, it must be admitted that Armenians always burst into panic at the requests to substantiate their statements. For example, for many years Turkey has been unsuccessfully trying to obtain a documentary evidence of the notorious “Armenian genocide” from Armenia. And a logical call to open archives and shed light on the history of the events of 1915 faces a stubborn protest of the Armenians. Those who have something to provide would not act this way!

And, of course, completely hypocritical was Pashinyan's statement in which he wished Russia success in celebrating the 75th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War. There is no sign of sincerity in this statement, since Armenian authorities' respect for Nazi associate Garegin Nzhde, a memorial to whom is erected in the very heart of Yerevan, is well known to everyone. Pashinyan again made a qualified fool of himself. His awkward statements about Azerbaijan did not strike a chord of other CSTO members. It is worth noting that Pashinyan’s participation in such events was previously a failure too. So, for example, at the summit of the Eurasian Economic Union in the capital of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan, Pashinyan was not awarded the order named after Nursultan Nazarbayev, although the presidents of other CSTO countries - Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan received such an order. Summarizing the above, it becomes obvious that Pashinyan missed the boat again. The CSTO countries did not support his anti-Azerbaijani position and ignored attempts to rehabilitate his country's presidency of the CSTO. Here's how Nikol failed again...