Russia says no obstacle to Armenia’s CSTO reintegration

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated during a briefing that Armenia remains a full member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and there are no obstacles to restoring its full engagement.

“Armenia continues to be a full-fledged member of the CSTO, retaining all corresponding rights and obligations. There are absolutely no barriers to restoring normal, active participation by our partners,” Zakharova said, as reported by TASS.

She also dismissed Yerevan’s claims of freezing participation in CSTO activities, calling them merely a “play on words,” as no such status exists in the organization’s legal framework.

According to Zakharova, the CSTO Charter stipulates that any member state has the right to withdraw according to established procedures. If a member state fails to fulfill its obligations, for instance, by defaulting on CSTO budget contributions for two years, it may face restrictions such as loss of voting rights and the ability to nominate its nationals for quota-based positions until debts are settled.

Zakharova emphasized that these measures are standard and also apply in UN-affiliated organizations.

Previously, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Yerevan had frozen participation in CSTO, accusing the organization of posing a threat to Armenia’s sovereignty. In December of last year, he stated that relations between Armenia and the CSTO had reached a point of no return. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan later said in Warsaw that Armenia was assessing all risks related to a possible withdrawal from the CSTO.