If Necessary, Armenia Must Fulfill Its Obligations in the CSTO, Says Norat Ter-Grigoryants

Veteran of the Afghan war Norat Ter-Grigoryants believes that the Russian Federation and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) must intervene in the situation at the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border if necessary and protect the borders of CSTO member Tajikistan from the instability that arose after the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan. He stated that if a decision is made to provide military assistance to the CSTO member state, Armenia must fulfill its obligations within the CSTO framework regardless of the circumstances.

In an interview with Armenpress, Ter-Grigoryants commented on the related issues, recalling his military experience in Afghanistan and comparing the current geopolitical situation to that of the 1980s. “An attack on Tajikistan means an attack on Russia. Currently, there are high-level enemies on the Tajik front. I mean both the Taliban and the Islamic State. This is a very serious enemy. And if they penetrate Tajikistan, an attack on Russia’s rear is inevitable,” the general stated.

When asked what position Armenia should take if military assistance is decided within the CSTO to support Tajikistan, Norat Ter-Grigoryants expressed the opinion that Armenia must fulfill its obligations “without offending anyone.” “If necessary, Armenia must fulfill its obligations. However, I believe it will not come to that, as there are a considerable number of Russian troops in Tajikistan,” our interlocutor noted.

On July 5, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon signed a decision to mobilize about 20,000 reservists to safeguard the border with Afghanistan. This week, Tajikistan officially appealed to the CSTO for assistance in protecting its border with Afghanistan.