NEWTIMES

Presidents of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) – President of Russia Vladimir Putin, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov, President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev, President of Tajikistan Emomalii Rahmon and President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan gathered in Moscowon May 15, 2012 on the 20^th anniversary of the Organization.

Russia, which lost its capacity as the second pole of the world after the collapse of theUSSR, faced serious problems in security, political and social and economic spheres, wants to restore its previous position again and particularly attaches more importance to security problems.

Russia is worried about intervention of the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan, NATO’s expansion to the East, the U.S.’ (NATO’s ) building missile defense system in the Eastern Europe and tries to realize its national security idea against all these threatens. But it has not yet achieved serious progress to solve the above-mentioned problems.  The fact that defense minister of Russia Anatoliy Serdyukov said meetings related to missile defense system have been deadlocked shows that tensions between Russia and U.S. (NATO) would continue for a long time. TheU.S.and West managed to alienate all countries, which once were members of the Warsaw Pact fromRussiain order to prevent it to become a hegemonic state again and even some of them have secured EU membership. Unlike other post-Soviet republics, Baltic states have completely alienated themselves fromRussia.

Russialooks at security issues in the region and international community from the viewpoint of its national security and intervenes. At the same time, the country tries to put its relations with post-Soviet states in order.Russiacan agree with the loss of theEastern Europe, but losing the post-Soviet territory completely contradicts interests and security idea of this country.Russia’s problems regardingGeorgiaandUkrainein the post-soviet territory have not been resolved yet and the probability to solve these problems in the near future is weak enough. Problems with regard toUkrainemainly continues in economic and political, butGeorgiain economic, political and military areas. 

Of course, the Collective Security Treaty Organization set up after the collapse of theUSSRcan not replace the Warsaw Pact. ButRussiaattaches special importance to the activity of this organization to protect its military power and influence in the post-Soviet territory to some extent. No positive changes have happened recently in attitude of member states towards this organization. The CSTO has not participated in the process of extinguishing hotbed of any conflict in the post-soviet territory over the past 20 years. Though the Organization has a military unit called Collective Rapid Reaction Force it has noted used this in practice. Another issue is that how the CSTO will use the Collective Rapid Reaction Force to resolve problems to emerge in the post-soviet territory. So, the statement of Secretary General of c Nikolay Bordyuzha on February 21, 2012 that if military operations in the Karabakh conflict erupts,Armeniaas a fully-fledged member will get all necessary support from its allies, was spotlight in the regional media. But Bordyuzha’s opinion was not supported unanimously by member states of CSTO.

Heads of member states discussed at a session to mark the 20^th anniversary of CSTO international and regional security issues, problems threatening security of member states, opportunities for future cooperation and results of the last ten years. A joint declaration on the activity of the organization and tendencies of the international community was signed in the end of the session. The occupation of the Azerbaijani lands byArmenia was reflected in the declaration, as well. The necessity of settlement of the conflict through the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), on the basis of norms and principles of international law and in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations was stressed the in declaration.

Political and military power, but not principles and norms of international law have come to foreground after 1990’s. At a time when great states try to solve their problems related to Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Iran and Northern Korea through military ways, but not on the basis of norms and principles of international law, Azerbaijani territories have been under Armenian occupation for 20 years and neither norms and principles of international law are applied for Armenia’s leaving the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, nor Azerbaijan is allowed to start military operations. None of four resolutions adopted by the United Nations on this issue has been fulfilled. Great states put pressure on invaders, countries threatening regional and international security by applying economic sanctions, starting military operations against them and freezing their financial allocations. But it is not known why Armenia’s continuing the occupation of the Azerbaijani territories, expanding political and economic cooperation with Iran, planning to build oil pipeline, sending different components to this country for getting atomic bomb, terrorists’ going to the United States with Armenian passport are not considered as the issue threatening regional and international security. On the contrary, various countries allocate funds to invaderArmeniawhich supports terrorism and the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh regime which is the arms and drug smuggling center and render assistance to them to solve their social and economic problems. This is a serious problem for ensuring regional and international security.  

States speaking about norms and principles of international law, Charter of the United Nations in every opportunity, supports despot, but not justice.

Dr. Hatem Jabbarli,

Head of Eurasian Center for Security and Strategy Studies