VIDEO: Attack on Armenia Would Mean Strike Against CSTO, Particularly Russia – Babayan

The likelihood of a new war starting in Artsakh at this stage is negligible, stated Artsakh's Foreign Minister David Babayan at a press conference. According to him, there is certainly a theoretical possibility of resuming military operations in Artsakh or along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. However, a large-scale aggression by Azerbaijan against Armenia would constitute a de facto attack on the CSTO.

"We have seen the recent events in Kazakhstan and the CSTO's initial reaction. An attack on Armenia would signify a strike against the CSTO, at the very least against Russia. As for Artsakh, stability and security here are also ensured by Russian peacekeepers. An attack on Artsakh would automatically mean an attack on the Russian peacekeeping contingent and, subsequently, against Russia," Babayan said.

He does not believe that Azerbaijan is unaware of this, which is why the possibility of a large-scale war is quite low. In the Minister's view, if, for instance, terrorist groups and pan-Turkists had achieved their goals in Kazakhstan, the situation in the South Caucasus would fundamentally change. However, that scenario currently appears unlikely.