Serzh Sargsyan:  Collective Security  Treaty is not aimed against  third parties  

ArmInfo.The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is not aimed against anyone. The Treaty signatories were concerned with security in the area of the  organization, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said in an  interview to MIR TV.

"Here we speak about collective benefit which is derived as a result  of combination of efforts. This is our position and the sooner the  process of adaptation of the CSTO to the present realities takes  place the more the Member States of the Organization will benefit",  the Armenian President said.

To the question which are the main challenges facing the CSTO and  particularly Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan answered, "In the contemporary  world challenges and threats arise in different ways. Security  threats are multi-layered. For us the situation in the region is a  threat. I speak about Azerbaijan that wants to solve Nagorno Karabakh  conflict by military ways. We are the security guarantor of the  people of Nagorno Karabakh that is why it is the first threat, the  first challenge facing us", President Sargsyan said. 

He added that only 400 kms separate Armenia from the territories  where the "Islamic State" operates. This means that the developments  in the Middle East are indirectly linked with our security. If we  take into account that many citizens from the CIS member states are  involved in the operations of the "Islamic State" it's clear that  sooner or later people with war experience will appear in our region  who resort to barbaric methods and can create additional  complications in the efforts of ensuring the fragile stability.   Unfortunately we hear conversations in the Arabic language and other  unclear voices in the opposite side of the contact line. We think  that people who have abandoned the Middle East start to be involved  in the conflicts of our region. This is of course very dangerous and  there are also many other threats in the contemporary world, they are  very many", Serzh Sargsyan said.

Referring to the question about Armenia's role in the CSTO, the  Armenian President said, "Armenia is among the founders of the CSTO  and this factor brings more responsibilities for Yerevan. We see our  role in the implementation of the requirements and obligations put by  the Organization. Because I think it's the first thing all the Member  States of the Organization should do. The world changes. 25 years ago  probably no one would think that terrorism would emerge reaching such  large scales. That's why our organization has to get adapted and  develop. Last year we adopted the strategy of the Collective Security  for the period until 2025 during the CSTO Council session in Yerevan.  It had been a priority for us since the beginning of our chairmanship  over the Organization and we managed to bring it into life. The key  development directions of our Organization are clearly pointed out in  that strategy. I think both Armenia and the other stakeholders are  interested in the development of the CSTO", the Armenian President  said.

Serzh Sargsyan refrained from comparing the CSTO with the NATO,  emphasizing that any organization pursues its goals and tasks from  the very beginning any organization gets accomplished on its own. "We  must take into account that path experienced organizations have  passed. There is nothing shameful in applying the positive experience  of others. I think the goals and tasks the Member States put in front  of them when creating our Organization are realistic and are in the  interest of all the Member States.  That's why I reiterate, our goal  is to develop the CSTO, we have to develop in order others try to  compare us with other organizations", President Serzh Sargsyan said.