- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Belarus Turns its Back on Military Allies Despite Armenian Objections

© Sputnik / Sergey Kuznecov / Go to the mediabankArmy servicemen of the 31st Individual Assault Brigade at the joint exercises of the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Force
Army servicemen of the 31st Individual Assault Brigade at the joint exercises of the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Force - Sputnik International
Subscribe
The country’s parliament unveiled a new military doctrine that would see Belarus shirk on its military obligations to the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

On Monday, the Belarusian parliament passed the first reading of the country’s new military doctrine, prohibiting the armed forces from participating in military operations abroad.

President Barack Obama and new Saudi Arabian King, Salman bin Abdul Aziz, are photographed as they shake hands in a bilateral meeting at Erga Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015 - Sputnik International
World
9/11 Law: Is the US Putting the Saudis Before Its Own Citizens?

The measure has been met with objections by Armenia, the country’s ally in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Shavarsh Kocharyan, argued that Belarus’ new military doctrine could spell trouble for the entire CSTO.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko countered by saying, "Our military doctrine is purely defensive. We will never fight on someone else’s territory because we are committed to a defensive military doctrine."

Lukashenko referenced the conflict in Ukraine as justification to amend the nation’s military doctrine. "There have never been any threats to Ukraine from our land, our territory, and never will be. We pursue the peace-loving policy and will do our best to normalize the situation in Ukraine."

Nonetheless, the other member states of CSTO, including Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will likely disagree with the Belarusian government’s textual framing of the doctrine, viewing it, instead, as a move to shirk their obligations as members of the military alliance.

Armed drone Bayraktar - Sputnik International
Erdogan’s Turkey Looks to Develop Next-Gen Drone Subsystems

Those concerns stand paramount for Armenians facing conflict from Turkey-backed Azerbaijan over the contested Nagorno-Karabakh territory. Armenia has controlled the territory for several decades, argueing that the territory historically has belonged to Armenia, and Nagorno-Karabakh remains primarily inhabited by individuals of Armenian descent.

However, in recent weeks, Azerbaijan has threatened, with the backing of Turkey, the use of its military against Armenia to seize the territory. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to support Azerbaijan, and has stated that the territory "will inevitably return to Azerbaijan."

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала