CSTO RRF to change power balance in South CaucasusFebruary 10, 2009 - 13:46 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The decision to form a rapid reaction force has breathed new life into the Collective Security Treaty Organization, an Armenian expert said."The CSTO did not have a well-outlined structure and was an amorphous organization quite recently. Now, it will have its own forces and member states will make certain capital investments," Karen Bekaryan, head of European Integration NGO, told a news conference in Yerevan today. "The CSTO has three directions: eastern (Central Asian countries), western (Belarus), and southern (Armenia). This makes an interesting picture," he said, adding that formation of CSTO RRF can counterbalance Azerbaijan's bellicose rhetoric. With the decision to form a rapid reaction force, the CSTO finally fixed its territories and borders, according to Bekaryan. "It's also worth mentioning that the decision was taken during Armenia's presidency in the Organization," he said. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |