The talks between Armenian Defense Minister Arshak Karapetyan and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow practically coincided with the two-day visit of CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas to Yerevan. On the agenda of the events is the escalation of the situation on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
During his last visit to Armenia, Zas held talks with the highest political and military leadership of the republic, saw the situation in the conflict zone with his own eyes, visiting a military post in the Ararat region on the border with Azerbaijan.
The number of border incidents has increased significantly in recent weeks. The parties exchange accusations, the situation is heating up.
Yerevan continues to call for the deployment of CSTO observers along the border with Azerbaijan to control armed incidents and form an objective idea of the organized provocations.
However, back in early July, Zas qualified the ongoing firefights between Baku and Yerevan as border incidents not covered by the provisions of the CSTO charter on collective defense. The CSTO leadership adheres to this position to this day.
Experts note that the deployment of observers does not go well with the implementation of the trilateral statement of Putin, Aliyev and Pashinyan, according to which Russian peacekeepers should be stationed along the line of contact and the Lachin corridor.
The following assumption is made about Pashinyan's motives. By sending a request to the CSTO, the Prime Minister of Armenia wants to be able to easily relieve himself of responsibility in case of further confrontation on the border.
