Why Doesn't Nikol Pashinyan Request Assistance from the CSTO? Says ‘Haykakan Jamanak’

Last night, Azerbaijani armed forces resumed shelling along the border with Armenia. This coincided with Nikol Pashinyan's behavior at the CSTO summit and the prior dispatch of troops to Kazakhstan. Were the two casualties and the same number of injuries reported yesterday related to the peacekeepers sent to Kazakhstan?

The ‘Haykakan Jamanak’ newspaper learned that law enforcement officials and Pashinyan's political team explained during a meeting that yesterday's tensions are directly connected to the troop deployment to Kazakhstan.

Active member of the ruling Civil Contract faction, Armen Khachatryan, told ‘Haykakan Jamanak’ that he is not ready to comment just yet, saying, “Let’s see how events develop, and thereafter we can provide an evaluation.”

But why doesn’t Nikol Pashinyan appeal to the CSTO for assistance, especially as Armenia's borders are being shelled and drones are flying in the country's airspace? We inquired whether they would make such a request, speaking with a member of parliament who also serves on the permanent committee on defense matters. “I think not,” Khachatryan responded briefly. This means that Armenia is offering services to the CSTO but is not utilizing their services.

It’s also worth noting that Armenia’s air defense is aligned with the agreement signed with the Russian Federation on “Cooperative Planning Matters for the Use of Troops (Forces) to Ensure Joint Security Between Armenia and the Russian Federation”, which states that alongside Russia, Armenia’s air space should be secure. Whether Nikol Pashinyan will turn to Russia, relying on our strategic ally’s air defense resources, remains unclear, as we were unable to hear alternative views on the matter.

For the full article, see today’s issue of the newspaper.