Pashinyan uncertain on CSTO exit

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the country does not plan to activate its work within the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and that no “unfreezing” of participation is expected.

“I cannot say whether we will de jure and definitively leave the CSTO or not is another matter. Therefore, we will act depending on the situation,” he said during a briefing, according to 1lurer.am .

He stressed that the government’s pre-election program clearly states that no steps will be taken to intensify engagement within the organization.

“Our pre-election program clearly states that we will not take measures to activate work within the CSTO, meaning no unfreezing is planned,” Pashinyan said, responding to remarks that during his recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin there had been discussion about not “remaining in the same place” regarding the CSTO.

He clarified that the phrase “not remaining in the same place” does not refer to activating membership in the CSTO, but rather to broader relations.

During a meeting with Putin in Moscow on April 1, Pashinyan stated that Armenia had expected CSTO mechanisms to be activated in 2022, but they were not, which led to the current state of relations. He added that Armenia is not participating in CSTO activities because it has not been able to explain to its citizens why the organization failed to respond despite its obligations.