YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. CSTO Joint Chief of Staff Anatoly Sidorov says the upcoming military exercises of the organizations shouldn’t be viewed as a direct response to NATO’s recent military exercises.

“We closely follow the developments around the CSTO territory and we try to respond adequately”, Sidorov told a September 26 press conference when asked whether or not the military exercises are a response to NATO’s drills.

During the press conference Sidorov also presented the scenarios of the military exercises in Armenia, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

“We will hold the military exercises in the following scenario: The situation is escalating in the CSTO borders. The CSTO leadership is trying to settle the situation with politics, however it fails. A decision is made to use force. During the subsequent deepening conflict a unification of troops is being made, transportation to a relevant territory and implementation of joint actions. Afterwards conditions for peaceful settlement appear and the CSTO collective forces join the peacekeeping mission in the framework of the UN mandate”, he said.

He mentioned that representatives of international organizations and diplomatic missions will follow the military exercises in both Armenia, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

He didn’t rule out that NATO observers might observe the drills at some phase.