Armenia's ruling party criticizes CSTO inaction, signals alternatives for security

Head of the parliamentary faction of Armenia's ruling Civil Contract party, Hayk Konjoryan, has expressed dissatisfaction with the Collective Security Treaty Organization's (CSTO) perceived inaction, stating that Armenia's participation in the organization is effectively frozen.

This statement follows Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's earlier remarks on the matter, Caliber.Az reports.

“Today we continue to express our position regarding the inaction of the CSTO. In fact, as the prime minister stated earlier, our participation in this organization is frozen,” Konjoryan said.

When questioned about the possibility of Armenia leaving the CSTO, Konjoryan clarified that it is not currently under consideration. However, he emphasized that Armenia remains committed to addressing unanswered questions and concerns within the organization.

“At the moment, no. However, this does not mean that at some stage we will not be able to undertake de jure processes. The questions that we addressed to the CSTO still remain unanswered. Therefore, we will continue to raise these issues; ultimately, the Armenian public poses this legitimate question to us,” Konjoryan specified.

Contrary to Russian assertions of Armenia intentionally worsening relations, Konjoryan asserted that Armenia prioritizes promoting and safeguarding its national interests.

"No. We do not pursue such a policy. The Republic of Armenia pursues a policy of promoting and protecting its national interests. The fact that some colleagues may regard the promotion of Armenia’s sovereign interests as a step against them speaks of their completely different intentions,” the party official said.

Konjoryan acknowledged Armenia's efforts to seek alternatives for its security in areas where allies fail to fulfil treaty obligations. However, he conceded that Armenia lacks alternative security guarantors, emphasizing the complexity of securing such assurances in the current geopolitical landscape.

“No country today can give another country such guarantees (of security),” the MP said.