CSTO Has Yet to Draw Its Sword, Says Anatoly Sidirov

The CSTO mission in Armenia is striving to be as objective as possible, making it premature to speak of any conclusions. This was stated by the head of the mission's advance group, Lieutenant General Anatoly Sidirov.

“The main task today is to visit the areas where clashes have occurred—specific locations, residential areas, and the positions of the Armenian side that have been shelled. We are trying to be as objective as possible; therefore, we are gathering facts,” Sidirov told Russian journalists accompanying him.

The general noted that the CSTO is working to resolve the tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, through peaceful means.

“At the same time, both our charter and the documents and the Collective Security Treaty itself state that priority is given to political and diplomatic methods. That is why we have not yet drawn our sword and are working to resolve the issue as peacefully as possible. I believe that the efforts made in this direction hold great potential both here and in the Central Asian region,” he emphasized.

It is worth noting that on September 13, an extraordinary meeting of the CSTO Permanent Council was held, during which the council expressed extreme concern over the situation at the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and discussed proposals for activating CSTO mechanisms for resolution. The CSTO Collective Security Council agreed to send a mission to Armenia.

The CSTO mission arrived in Armenia on September 15.