Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan on Tuesday said his country would not host the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation’s (CSTO) military exercises this year.
PASHINYAN’S REMARKS
Pashinyan told reporters that the Defence Ministry informed the bloc in writing that Armenia “does not consider it appropriate to conduct such military exercises” given the tensions with Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh over the Lachin Corridor.
He blamed the Russian peacekeepers stationed in the regions for doing nothing to prevent Azerbaijan from escalating the situation. Pashinyan said that far from guaranteeing Armenia’s security, Russian military presence in Armenia “creates [security] threats.”
Also Read: Armenia, Azerbaijan Vow to Resolve Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Under Russian Mediation
In this respect, Pashinyan noted that Yerevan is looking for “other means” to guarantee its security, including asking the UN Security Council to send a multinational peacekeeping group to Nagorno-Karabakh.
RUSSIA’S REACTION
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted that it was “quite a new statement” by Pashinyan. “In any case, Armenia is our very close ally,” he said, adding that Russia would continue its dialogue with Armenia, including “complicated” issues.
Watch: Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says his country will not host a Russian-led grouping of forces from ex-Soviet countries for military exercises this year, signaling growing frustration with Moscow.#Armenia #Russiahttps://t.co/UaXC2vUJUo pic.twitter.com/rp8BT8LpdI
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) January 10, 2023
Earlier this month, the Russian Defence Ministry announced that this year’s CSTO military drills — Indestructible Brotherhood 2023 — would be held in Armenia.
TENSIONS IN LACHIN
Hundreds of Azerbaijani protesters have blocked the Lachin Corridor for almost a month, accusing Armenian and Russian soldiers of stealing the region’s natural resources. The corridor is the only road connecting Armenia to the de-facto Armenian-backed Republic of Artsakh, another name for Nagorno-Karabakh, where hundreds of thousands of ethnic Armenians live.
Also Read: Tensions in Lachin Corridor ‘Derailing’ Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Talks: UNSC
Armenia has rejected Azerbaijan’s claims, saying it is trying to provoke conflict. Furthermore, it has accused Baku of sending state employees to protest, noting that several protesters are military officials disguised in civilian clothes.
CSTO
The CSTO is a Eurasian military alliance led by Russia, and comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The bloc conducts regular military exercises and discusses regional security situations such as the Afghan crisis and Armenia-Azerbaijan tensions.
In January 2022, it deployed hundreds of troops to Kazakhstan to quell nationwide protests against the government after Astana requested military help.
RUSSIA-ARMENIA TIES
Russia has had a long-standing alliance with Armenia and has supported it militarily and economically. During the 2020 war with Azerbaijan, Armenia extensively used Russian weaponry, and there have been reports alleging that Russian-made Iskander ballistic missiles were fired upon Azerbaijani troop positions — a claim that both Moscow and Yerevan fiercely deny.