Russian 102nd Military Base is Not Deployed Here for Beauty, Says Zatulin

Countries within the CSTO emphasize steps aimed at preventing terrorist actions, said Konstantin Zatulin, the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration, and Relations with Compatriots, to journalists after a meeting of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly.

In response to a question about whether the recent gunfire by Azerbaijan in the Tavush region against the civilian population is considered terrorism and how the CSTO is responding, Zatulin stated, “In one of the reports at today’s meeting, it was mentioned that there is tension in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.”

When reporters pointed out that the matter concerns Tavush, not Artsakh, Zatulin noted: “If Armenia, as a member of the CSTO, sees the need to raise this issue before other CSTO member countries, it has the right to do so, but I haven’t heard that Armenia has raised this issue. You are bringing it up now, but official Yerevan has not addressed this issue to the CSTO,” he said.

Zatulin emphasized that as member states of the CSTO, they have obligations to each other. “The Russian Federation considers Armenia a partner, and in the event of an attack on it, the mechanisms provided by the CSTO will be activated. Our 102nd military base is located on the territory of Armenia, and it is not deployed here for beauty.”