Sergey Lavrov: Our Armenian friends preferred EU observers to CSTO  mission

ArmInfo.We are facing difficulties related to the current situation in Armenia. Russian  Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced this on January 18 at a  press conference in Moscow.

Referring to joint integration projects, the Russian diplomat noted  that the CSTO has plans for joint foreign policy activity. In this  vein, he noted that it is not easy to do this, and the solidarity of  all countries participating in the integration association is  necessary. However, Lavrov continued, Russia stands for a  multi-vector approach and equal relations, and not for a  "leader-executor" approach. He noted that there is no discipline of  the cane in the CSTO, which is harmful. At the same time, Lavrov  noted that, of course, he would like solidarity in the Union  structures to be one hundred percent and work is underway in this  direction.

"Let's not hide, we are facing difficulties related to the situation  in Armenia. When our Armenian friends put forward the need to send a  CSTO mission to the border with Azerbaijan in order to ensure some  kind of stability there. We also agreed on such a document on the  parameters of this mission at the summit held in Yerevan. But it was  not possible to adopt the document, because our Armenian partners  began to insist that this document also contain a sharp condemnation  of Azerbaijan. We explained that if we are talking about  condemnation, about rhetoric, about presenting a position, then here  everyone is free, whatever," the diplomat said.

But if we want to send the CSTO mission, he continued, then it is not  necessary that it was conditioned by external impulses, especially  statements, all the more ones. According to him, the Organization  still remains ready to send a CSTO mission to the border between  Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"Nevertheless, despite the fact that we are allies, this mission is  fully prepared, the Armenian side prefers to negotiate with the  European Union so that their mission will be deployed there on a  long-term basis. And probably, if this mission is deployed without  the consent of Azerbaijan, it may be simply counterproductive. And  instead of building trust, it can create additional irritants,"  Lavrov said, adding that this is an objective assessment, and each  CSTO region must be approached creatively, taking into account the  specifics of countries.  Џ® ҐЈ® б«®ў ¬, нв® ­г¦­® гзЁвлў вм,  Ї®бЄ®«мЄг ­  Є ¦¤®Ј® ®Є §лў Ґвбп ¤ ў«Ґ­ЁҐ. "But, all our partners -  of course, we discuss all this frankly with them - they perfectly  understand and emphasize that there will be no discrepancies with the  obligations under the CSTO. Our Armenian friends give the same  assurances. This is where it is necessary, this is my deep  conviction, a deep and frank conversation between our presidents as  it was in Yerevan. It was preceded by a conversation between the  foreign ministers and their experts. We need to openly state any  difficulties that these countries face," Lavrov summed up.

It should be noted that after the Azerbaijani large-scale military  aggression against the sovereign territory of Armenia on September  13-14, 2022, official Yerevan turned to Russia, the CSTO and the UN  Security Council for military assistance. In order to assess the  situation, the CSTO sent a mission to Armenia, which was entrusted  with the function of assessing the situation and developing a set of  measures to provide assistance. Later, the Russian side announced  that the CSTO was ready to send a monitoring mission to the border if  the CSTO CSC approved this measure. Yerevan, however, said that they  expect a targeted political assessment of the occupation of Armenian  territories from the CSTO.  On November 23, a meeting of the CSTO CSC  was held in Yerevan, at which a decision was to be made on rendering  assistance to Armenia. However, the Prime Minister of Armenia refused  to sign the draft "Declaration of the Collective Security Council of  the CSTO and on joint measures to provide assistance to the Republic  of Armenia." "The lack of a clear political assessment of the  situation by the CSTO and the failure to adopt the above decision may  mean not only the CSTO's refusal of allied obligations, but also  Azerbaijan's interpretation as a green light from the CSTO for  further aggression against Armenia. And this is contrary not only to  the letter, but also to the spirit and the meaning of the fundamental  documents of the CSTO," he said during a speech at a meeting of the  CSTO CSC in Yerevan, adding that he was not ready to sign the  document in this form.