YEREVAN, 23 November (BelTA) – It is necessary to do everything in order to resolve the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement at a session of the CSTO Collective Security Council in Yerevan, Armenia on 23 November, BelTA has learned.
Speaking about existing challenges and threats, Aleksandr Lukashenko stated that a complicated situation is evolving in the Collective Security Treaty Organization, too. He said: “We've repeatedly said that attempts are being made to stir up trouble in societies inside our countries right along the perimeter of the Russian Federation. Ukraine flared up first. An attempt to destroy Belarus was made in 2020. Belarusians have gone through that. Kazakhstan had to go through that in January 2022 (it is good that Kazakhstan's leadership managed to deal with this conflict). A conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. I will repeat what I said at an extraordinary session of the Collective Security Council on 28 October: we would like the conflict between the two neighboring countries that are friendly to us to be resolved in a peaceful manner.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko went on saying: “I think I will say what's on everyone's mind. We are not staying aside. One shouldn't say that the CSTO failed to prevent Azerbaijan's aggression like [Armenia Prime Minister] Nikol Vovayevich [Pashinyan] said. It is not our job to stop someone from doing something. But we have to react to facts. So we are ready to react.”
He remarked that Russia is now acting as a mediator in this matter and both Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed with it. “Let's move in this direction. Let's come to terms, let's do everything so that people don't die over there. The Armenian society and the Azerbaijani society would accept it with pleasure,” the president is convinced.
“Yes, Nikol Vovayevich, there are nuances. And possibly serious ones at that. But we can now radically resolve this conflict, which may flare up again. Provided Armenia's leadership desires it. And naturally Azerbaijan's. By the way, I am going to talk about it. It is one of the priorities of Belarus' presidency in the CSTO. We shouldn't turn a blind eye to it. We may or may not resolve this problem but this problem should be in the center of attention of the Collective Security Treaty Organization,” the head of state stressed.
Aleksandr Lukashenko went on saying: “But one has to understand that it is a conflict between two neighboring states, which are close and friendly to us. It is the reason. Not because we want to please one side to the detriment of the other one. Armenians are not strangers for us and we want to support them. But we need motion primarily from Armenia in this regard.”
“But in view of that I fail to understand why the European Union and the OSCE have to be involved in this conflict in addition to Russia, which acts as a mediator. Can someone explain it to me?” the head of state wondered. “Are they here in order to continue driving a wedge into relations between us, between allies? It has always been like that throughout history. We know where this kind of ‘mediation' can lead. This conflict will be simply frozen for many years once again at least. They don't need stability and peace in our region but the devastation that they control.”
The president pointed out that the conflict situation at the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border is a similar one. “We are being played off against one another,” he stressed.
Aleksandr Lukashenko believes that allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organization have to help these countries resolve the conflict situation. “We don't need these brawls. Because logs and charred sticks will be added to this bonfire all the time. We don't need that,” he said.
