Did Issues Arise with CSTO During the Rule of the Republican Party? Eduard Sharmazanov

Eduard Sharmazanov, a member of the Executive Body of the Republican Party, has commented on the relationships with CSTO countries on his Facebook page.

“During Serzh Sargsyan's presidency, the heads of states in the CSTO not only recognized the sovereign territory of Armenia but also the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination. The relations between Armenia and the CSTO have been evidently problematic in recent years. We have repeatedly stated that at that time, it was inappropriate to initiate criminal proceedings and pursue the CSTO Secretary-General without informing the heads of the CSTO states. We have also pointed out that it was problematic to withdraw from the publicly agreed statement by the heads of foreign affairs during the CSTO summit in November 2022 at the last minute.

At the same time, we have voiced the shortcomings and ineffective actions of the CSTO. But there is one question here: Did such problems arise during the Republican Party's rule? Under the presidency of Armenia's third president, Serzh Sargsyan, on October 14, 2016, the session of the Collective Security Council of the CSTO held in Yerevan resulted in a joint statement on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which was officially published on October 18.

The statement reads: “We support the agreements reached during the summits held in Vienna on May 16 and in Saint Petersburg on June 20 on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, which aim to prevent escalation in the conflict zone, stabilize the situation, and create conditions for advancing the peace negotiation process. Confirming the necessity of exclusively peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, we support the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs aimed at resolving the conflict based on the norms of international law, the UN Charter, and the provisions of the Helsinki Final Act, particularly regarding the non-use of force or the threat of its use, the territorial integrity of states, the equality of peoples, and the right to self-determination.”

The statement issued by the CSTO regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in October 2016 was positive in both form and substance. Thanks to President Serzh Sargsyan's efforts, the CSTO, despite the participation of countries like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, or Belarus, which have close ties with Azerbaijan, signed a pro-Armenian document concerning the Artsakh issue along with Armenia. This fact clearly illustrated the perception of Armenia's position within that organization.

Moreover, the leaders of the organization expressed their support for the pro-Armenian statements issued in May and June of 2016, as well as their support for the well-known principles of resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, including the principle of the right of nations to self-determination. Now the representatives of the current regime are trying to forget this fact. What I mean is that when Armenia had leadership that served state and national interests, the CSTO was indeed adopting favorable statements for Armenia. And when figures who consider national interests secondary take the helm of the state, we end up with the situation full of problems we see today. As Garegin Nzhdeh would say: ‘The cause of our misfortunes must primarily be sought within ourselves...’