Armenia announced on Tuesday that it is refusing to organize joint military maneuvers this year as part of its alliance with Russia over dissatisfaction with the blockade of a vital supply route to the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.
The announcement comes as Armenia has shown increasing signs of irritation towards its Russian ally, accusing it of failing to act in the face of “provocations” by Azerbaijan over Karabakh, where Moscow maintains a “peacekeeping force”.
“Armenia does not consider it appropriate to hold Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) exercises. These exercises will not take place,” Prime Minister Nikol Pachinian said at a news conference.
According to Pachinian, Yerevan’s government has already informed the leadership of the military alliance led by Moscow, which includes several former Soviet republics.
The prime minister criticized the CSTO for refusing to condemn the actions of Azerbaijan and Russia, in particular for not playing the role “as an entity guaranteeing the security of Armenia”.
“Armenia expected specific actions from Russia and other security partners. But Yerevan was told that the borders of Armenia and Azerbaijan had not been demarcated,” Pachinian added.
The Armenian government also accuses Russian peacekeepers of “inaction”, especially at a time when Azerbaijani troops are blocking the Latchine corridor, a vital axis for supplying the enclave disputed by the two countries.
“If it suddenly becomes clear that Russia cannot fulfill its obligations, (the issue) should be brought to the UN,” he added.
Yerevan’s executive repeated accusations against Moscow that it failed to mediate last September’s clashes in the Armenia-Azerbaijan border region.
Asked about Pachinian’s criticism, the Kremlin downplayed the situation, stating that “Armenia is a very close ally” with whom Russia will “continue dialogue, including on sensitive issues”.
Source: DN
