February 10, 2009 - 13:46 AMT
CSTO RRF to change power balance in South Caucasus
The decision to form a rapid reaction force has breathed new life into the Collective Security Treaty Organization, an Armenian expert said.

"The CSTO did not have a well-outlined structure and was an amorphous organization quite recently. Now, it will have its own forces and member states will make certain capital investments," Karen Bekaryan, head of European Integration NGO, told a news conference in Yerevan today.

"The CSTO has three directions: eastern (Central Asian countries), western (Belarus), and southern (Armenia). This makes an interesting picture," he said, adding that formation of CSTO RRF can counterbalance Azerbaijan's bellicose rhetoric.

With the decision to form a rapid reaction force, the CSTO finally fixed its territories and borders, according to Bekaryan.

"It's also worth mentioning that the decision was taken during Armenia's presidency in the Organization," he said.