Under What Conditions Can CSTO Peacekeepers Be Deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh?

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) can deploy peacekeeping forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone only based on a decision by the CSTO Collective Security Council, obtaining the corresponding mandate from the UN Security Council, and with the agreement of all conflicting parties. This was stated by CSTO spokesman Vladimir Zainetdinov in an interview with TASS.

Zainetdinov cited the organization’s 2007 agreement concerning peacekeeping operations. According to him, the decision regarding peacekeeping activities in the territories of member states is made by the CSTO Collective Security Council. In the case of peacekeeping operations conducted in the territory of a non-member state, a decision from the UN Security Council is also mandatory.

“The decision is made taking into account the national legislation of CSTO member states based on an official request from a member state to conduct a peacekeeping operation on its territory or based on a decision from the UN Security Council to conduct a peacekeeping operation in the territory of a non-member state,” Zainetdinov noted.