Caucasus under no immediate threat of armed conflict

February 9, 2010 - 13:32 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net -
Caucasus region is under no immediate threat of armed conflict, according to military expert Alexander Golts.

“Most obvious reasons behind this are: Armenia’s membership in the CSTO, which means organization’s serious support in case of war, as well as better training of Armenian army officers. True, Azerbaijan has been intensively purchasing weapons recently. Yet what really matters is fighting capacity, in which, experts say, Armenian army is superior to Azerbaijan’s,” Mr. Golts noted.

As the expert pointed out, the possibility of strong Turkish army’s interference might pose a serious danger. “Russia, in turn, is interested in upholding peace in the region, and will take every effort to prevent such outcome,” Caucasian Knot cited him as saying.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.

CSTO

The Collective Security Treaty Organization, formed under the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States, serves as a mutual defense alliance among Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The Collective Security Treaty (CST) was signed on May 15, 1992 for five-year term, with the possibility of prolongation. On December 2, 2004 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Resolution to grant the observer status to the Collective Security Treaty Organization in the General Assembly of the United Nations. The goal of the Collective Security Treaty Organization is to strengthen peace and international and regional security and stability and to ensure collective protection of independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Member States, in the attainment of which Member States shall give priority to political methods. On February 4, 2009, the CSTO leaders approved formation of Collective Rapid Reaction Force (RRF).