“The question of Azerbaijan joining the CSTO is advocacy organized by their government that has several motivators and goals,” said specialist on Azerbaijani affairs Ashot Movsisyan in an interview regarding the rumors that Azerbaijan applied to become a member of the CSTO (the issue will be discussed in November, according to several sources). He said that one of the motivators is to weaken Armenia’s role in the CSTO and the uncertain situation surrounding the Secretary-General, Yuri Khachaturov. “Azerbaijan is trying to take advantage of the situation by making Armenia’s problems worse, including disturbing Armenia’s relations with Russia. Azerbaijan is trying to provoke several steps so that Armenia is forced to take action, which will damage our position in the CSTO and our relations with Russia.”
The other motivator, according to Ashot Movsisyan, is the positive atmosphere surrounding Azerbaijan as a result of the Caspian Sea Agreement. “Azerbaijan is trying to move that atmosphere to other spheres, showing that it can negotiate with Russia on different questions. Azerbaijan is trying to figure out the overall mood with this in order to understand if society is truly ready to collaborate with Russia on a military and political level.”
According to the specialist, Azerbaijani society is not ready to be in the same military and political union as Russia. “It also depends on the issue of Artsakh and Armenia’s and Russia’s strong relations. On the other hand, Azerbaijani society and the majority of Azerbaijani leadership excludes the possibility of participating alongside Armenia in the same military-political structure.” Ashot Movsisyan thinks that it’s unlikely Azerbaijan will work with the CSTO as a monitor. “The political route that Azerbaijani authorities have adopted recently does not allow for them to work with the CSTO or any other military-political-economic union.”
Luiza Sukiasyan
