Azerbaijan, with its gas and oil, is of much greater interest to  Europe and the United States - Yevgeny Satanovsky

ArmInfo. Russian political expert Yevgeny Satanovsky has commented on the latest processes involving Armenia's relations with the Collective Security Treaty  Organization (CSTO) and on official Yerevan's refusal to host the  Indestructible Brotherhood military exercises. 

He spoke of a poll on Armenia's membership in the CSTO. 

"It is good the post-soviet country's premier was greatly doubtful  that his country benefited from being a member of this organization.  Again, on Armenia's behalf be refused to host the CSTO exercise and  sign the final declaration of the CSTO Summit. So, according to him,  it turns out that the Russian military base is deployed in Armenia  for an uncertain purpose. The Russian weapons and the supplied to  Armenia, including the air defence systems, are the wrong systems,  and he needs U.N. peacekeepers in Nagorno- Karabakh, not Russian  ones. And it is not Russia, but France and the United States, that  are Armenia's best friends. Love cannot be forced," Mr Satanovsky  said. 

According to the poll results, less than 11% of the respondents  believe that Armenia does not need the CSTO, whereas almost 69%  believes it is beneficial. 

"Does it mean the question is settled and Armenia's incumbent  authorities will stop confusing the Russian leadership and everything  else, start showing a constructive approach, listening to Moscow's  advice, which would make the Nagorno-Karabakh population's life much  easier - especially if Yerevan had listened to Russia's advice before  or, at least, immediately after the outbreak of the second Karabakh  war," Mr Satanovsky said. 

Public opinion does not influence anything - even if daily polls are  conducted.

"And referendums the world likes holding so much have no influence  either. The chief of the country is the decision-maker. In the USSR,  prior to the country's disintegration and as part of Mikhail  Gorbachev's policy of democratization and new thinking, a referendum  on the future was held. And an overwhelming majority voted for the  USSR. But that never checked Yeltsin, Kravchuk and their ally  Shushkevich at the Belovezhskaya Puschcha (Bialowieza Forest)! And  where is the USSR now? And here is Armenia, which, by the way, played  a crucial role in the disintegration of our country. So no matter  whether or not a referendum is held there. And should the  U.S.-sponsored Pashinyan & company make a decision, neither Armenia  will remain a CSTO member nor will the Russian peacekeepers will stay  in Karabakh or the Russian base in Armenia. But the question is  whether Armenians will remain in Karabakh and Armenia on the map  after that - except as a Turkish vilayet. In any case, Azerbaijan,  with its gas and oil, is of much greater interest to Europe and the  United States," Mr Satanovsky said. 

According to the results of a poll conducted in Yerevan, 41.6% of the  respondents said that, despite the latest developments and criticism  by Armenia's authorities, the CSTO is of benefit to Armenia. 32.8% of  the respondents could not answer. 

Only 10.9% of the respondents believe Armenia should leave the CSTO,  whereas 68.2% strong believe Armenia remain a CSTO member.