Ex-defense Minister: Armenia`s membership in CSTO and the presence of  Russian troops on the territory of the country are a deterrent for  Azerbaijan and Turkey

ArmInfo. Yet, Armenia has managed to implement a policy that ensures the preservation of military balance in the region. Armenian ex-Minister of Defense,  Lieutenant- General Vagharshak Harutyunyan stated this at a press conference in Yerevan on March 13.

According to him, if this were not the case, then in Nagorno-Karabakh  war would be resumed long ago. At the same time, the expert believes  that this can be done thanks to the right choice of allies.  Harutyunyan is convinced that Armenia's membership in the CSTO, and  the presence of Russian troops on the territory of the country, are a  deterrent for Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Commenting on the appeals of some political forces on the withdrawal  of Russian troops from the territory of Armenia, Harutyunyan said:  "These forces should understand whose interests they are promoting."  Three more presidents have been replaced in Armenia since  independence, each of them had but they all worked to strengthen  relations with Russia.Today, thanks to the right policy, Armenia has  what it has, including the victory in the Karabakh war. "And what  does Azerbaijan have?" Harutyunyan asked.

Speaking about the exercises conducted by Azerbaijan in Nakhijevan,  he noted that this site is the territory for the realization of the  ideology of neo-Ottomanism. "What is Nakhijevan from the  military-political point of view and weapons?" First, Nakhijevan  today is a territory from which one can strike at Yerevan from  medium-range weapons, for example, using the "Tochka-U" , "Smerch."  Secondly, from Nakhijevan, it is possible to penetrate into the  Syunik region - Meghri, and establish direct contact with  Azerbaijan.In addition, Nakhijevan is mainly home to Shiites, which  are closer to the Iranians in essence, but Turkey today has a clear  policy upon request but at the same time, the military equipment  concentrated in Nakhijevan makes it possible to use this territory as  a military base, "Harutyunyan said. According to him, all these  circumstances cannot but worry the Armenian side, which should be  vigilant.