Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Galuzin has declared that it was the West that pushed the Armenian authorities to freeze participation in the CSTO, said.

“Yerevan’s full participation in the work of the CSTO meets the aspirations of the Armenian people and serves the cause of maintaining peace and stability in the South Caucasus,” Galuzin said, RIA Novosti reports.

According to Galuzin, no matter what promises were made by the Westerners “who pushed the Armenian authorities to “freeze” participation in the Organization, there are no effective alternatives to the CSTO as a mechanism for ensuring the security of Armenia today.”

Galuzin maintained that “work to build up the potential of the CSTO is moving systematically, leaving Yerevan behind.” “New algorithms for crisis response are being developed, the capabilities of the Organization’s Collective Forces are being strengthened, taking into account Russian combat experience, and serious documents are being adopted to ensure the border security of our allies in Central Asia,” he emphasized.