CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas’s statement about how what is happening at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is a “border incident” and that the organization has nothing to do in such a case has caused great dissatisfaction in Armenia. Our political circles, which think that the security system Armenia is under the auspices of currently under can be replaced by another system, saw in Zas’s statement the “last straw” that should push our state to take that decisive step. Pro-government politicians and NGOs also express similar views, to varying degrees.
First of all, it is important to note that the CSTO is a formal structure, which, as an organization, has no intention to ensure Armenia’s security; besides Russia, it is a collection of countries that have better relationships with Azerbaijan than Armenia. However, this does not mean that today’s Armenia has the political and military resources to spoil its relations with the CSTO or, moreover, as some “hotheads” advise, to “leave the CSTO.” It would mean opposing Russia, a country that, however pleasant or unpleasant it may be, is the only one in our deplorable situation that can ensure the preservation of the Armenian statehood, albeit partially. To oppose the CSTO means to oppose Russia, for which the organization is one of the manifestations of its imperial ambitions. Our current government was so short-sighted that, due to some populist motives, it decided to “eliminate” the CSTO Secretary General with an accusation that could not be proven later.
Yes, the CSTO has no desire to help us so that the Azerbaijani soldiers will leave our sovereign territory. Russia has no desire to help us in this matter. I doubt that France, the United States, and the United Nations can also be useful to us here. The problem, it seems to me, is clear. If you are so poor and helpless that you can not protect your borders from foreign invasion, and you are so stupid that you declare that your army should be reduced, why should anyone help you? Therefore, it is not appropriate to “be rude” to Russia, especially when it is done by pro-government circles, to put it mildly.
The issue is not whether or not we like the Russian regime or that country’s foreign policy. I personally would like for Armenia to be in Slovenia’s or Estonia’s situation with all of the political and cultural characteristics coming from that. But turning off our brains and living on daydreams brings about the situation we are in today. And that will not be the end of our difficulties if we continue to put our desires before reality.
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Aram Abrahamyan
