13:26     09 July 2021    

Recently, a meeting of the Council of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization was held in Dushanbe. One of its important results was the announcement of plans to create an institution of partner states.

Recently, a meeting of the Council of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization was held in Dushanbe. One of its important results was the announcement of plans to create an institution of partner states. State Duma Chairman Viacheslav Volodin only noted that "a number of states are showing interest in cooperation within the framework of the organization." At this meeting, the head of the Duma Committee on Eurasian Integration Leonid Kalashnikov said that the two countries are showing the greatest interest in the new format. These are Azerbaijan and Pakistan. I believe that Syria will be the first to join the queue for obtaining the status of an observer partner of the CSTO. Including such semi-recognized states in the post-Soviet space as South Ossetia and Abkhazia. There is an expectation that Uzbekistan will show great interest in such an institution of cooperation with the CSTO. It should be noted that the observer in the CSTO is the Republic of Serbia. Despite its non-aligned, equidistant policy, official Belgrade is closer in status to a member of the CSTO than to that of a partner. Therefore, if Serbia wants to become a partner of this military-political alliance, it will mean moving away from the CSTO, and not approaching it from the side of official Belgrade. I would like to note that observer status and CSTO partner status are two different statuses. Observer status can be conditionally equated to the concept of "vice member". But the status of a partner just means that this state under no circumstances wants to become a member of a military-political alliance, but in every possible way wants to interact with the CSTO and ... therefore, interacts. The advantages of the status of an observer partner of the CSTO are in the field of military-technical cooperation and military security. The CSTO partner can also count on the purchase of weapons and military equipment from the CSTO countries, primarily Russia and Belarus, at reduced prices compared to world prices. In addition, we are talking about assistance to the CSTO partners in training military personnel, methodological and practical assistance in conducting military exercises and combat operations, taking into account the latest achievements of military science and the experience of modern warfare. And also the CSTO partners can count on specific military assistance in solving tasks of repelling aggression from other states and large non-state armed formations, or forcing the aggressor states to peace. Speaking about the prospects of Armenia's cooperation with Azerbaijan and Pakistan within the framework of the CSTO, official Yerevan will definitely vote against. However, this position is unlikely to be understood, or even condemned by other members of the CSTO. The emphasis will be placed on the fact that this is not about membership, but about partnership. And if official Yerevan wants the Collective security system to develop in the post-Soviet space, it is necessary to give full development to the institution of CSTO partnership. This will be the position of other members of the military-political organization, who will exert soft pressure on official Yerevan in order to change its position. For example, the example of the SCO will be given, where Azerbaijan, Turkey and Armenia are also partners of the SCO. And there are no disputes in Yerevan on this matter! I am sure that the issue will be resolved - the Republic of Azerbaijan and Pakistan will become partners of the CSTO. And Armenia will only benefit from this when solving the problems of ensuring its national security. The author is Associate Professor of the Department of Political Science and Sociology of the PRUE named after G.V. Plekhanova, member of the Expert Council of the "Officers of Russia" organization.

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