Our Demand from CSTO Has Been That, Until Now It Has Not Been Fulfilled: Armen Grigoryan

Yerevan's demand from the CSTO has been to provide military and military-political assistance to Armenia, and until now this has not been fulfilled, Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan stated in an interview with Azatutyun.

“Naturally, we cannot be satisfied with this aspect. The fact that the CSTO has not yet properly responded for the Azerbaijani troops to completely withdraw from the sovereign territory of Armenia means that our expectations have not been met, and our expectations will only be justified in that case,” he noted.

When asked by the media if he is satisfied with the CSTO's response, considering that its monitoring group is currently in Armenia, especially given the speed at which CSTO troops reached Kazakhstan at Armenia's initiative, Grigoryan replied, “What was our expectation, and what was our query when applying to the CSTO, was to provide military and military-political assistance to protect Armenia's sovereignty and to ensure that Azerbaijani troops withdraw from the sovereign territory of Armenia. That has been our demand from the CSTO, and until now, this has not been fulfilled. Naturally, we cannot be satisfied with this aspect.”

Regarding the observation that during the Kazakhstan events, he expressed hope that these mechanisms would finally be activated, creating a precedent, Grigoryan stressed, “Naturally, there was such hope, and naturally, that hope has completely evaporated, and there is no such hope anymore, unless there are substantial steps from the CSTO; if there are tangible actions, we can think about it or see those steps and have confidence. But the fact that the CSTO has not yet adequately responded for the Azerbaijani troops to completely withdraw from the sovereign territory of Armenia means that our expectations have not been met, and our expectations will only be justified in that case.”

To the question of whether it is now possible to bring collective troops, Grigoryan answered, “This is possible through various means. You know that the international community has many tools, ranging from military-political to diplomatic and economic. Of course, the CSTO, as an organization, naturally does not have economic tools, but it has military-political tools, and it is possible to resolve this issue with those military-political tools.”

As for what actions Yerevan will take if not, with calls to leave the alliance being voiced today, Grigoryan stated that the CSTO should think about that, not Armenia.

The media inquired that when it is said that it is calm at the border now, but tension persists, does this mean there is a risk of resuming military actions. Grigoryan replied, “The danger of military actions has not been excluded in the last two years because Azerbaijan continues to make warlike statements and also tries to maintain border tension. Our assessment is that Azerbaijan does not abandon its ambitions towards the sovereign territories of Armenia and is trying to exert pressure on Armenia through aggression. Overall, progress within the three days has changed, Azerbaijani troops are present, and Armenia's demand remains that Azerbaijani troops must withdraw from the sovereign territory of Armenia. When we say they must withdraw, we mean that the occupation that began by invading Armenia's sovereign territory since May 12 of last year must be removed.”

To the question of whether this is a temporary ceasefire, he responded, “In general, when we expect the confirmation of a ceasefire, it should be long-term, but we do not have such confidence from Azerbaijan at this time because in general, the ceasefire agreement has also been in place since November 9, but Azerbaijan has continued to violate both November 9 and all ceasefire agreements. No timely arrangements have been made, but Azerbaijan continues to take steps in the context of military escalation.”

To the question of whether there was any condition under which the fire ceased, Grigoryan answered that Armenia did not discuss any conditions with any partner, and the ceasefire has become a reality.