CSTO sputtered out as military structure and block to counterbalance NATO, as unlike North-Atlantic alliance it does not have global organization and material base to unite all member states, Gevorg Aghbalyan told NEWS.am.

According to him, CSTO member states have conflicting geopolitical interests and CSTO membership is of formal nature. “For instance, Russia’s membership to CSTO does not prevent from expanding military cooperation with Azerbaijan (not a block member) and Turkey-NATO member. The mentioned two states are a direct threat to other CSTO member-Armenia. In case hostility resumes in Karabakh conflict zone, it is difficult to imagine that Central Asian states will lend a hand of help to &‘CSTO brother’- Armenia. They are likely to help GUAM member — Azerbaijan, having economic and energy ties with the state,” underlined expert. According to Aghbalyan, in the course of his visits to Yerevan, CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha was repeatedly asked whether CSTO will interfere if the military actions resume. However, his replies are unclear and evasive.

Aghbalyan outlined that CSTO cannot lay claims to the regional actor role in the South Caucasus, as it cooperates only with Armenia, unlike NATO that works with three South Caucasian countries. “CSTO is not taken seriously both by member states and NATO. Thus, Bordyuzha’s hand of friendship extended to NATO is up in the air.”