Armenia to face CSTO contribution for 2025 Despite 2024 payment refusal

Despite Armenia's refusal to pay its contribution to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) budget for the year 2024, the country will still be assessed a financial contribution for the year 2025.

Russia's Permanent Representative to the CSTO, Viktor Vasilyev said that Armenia’s contribution for 2024 was set at 53.22 million rubles. However, regardless of Armenia's stance on paying this year's contribution, the budget for 2025 will be prepared, and Armenia will be charged ten percent of the total amount allocated for that year’s budget, Caliber.Az reports via Russian sources.

“The draft budget for 2025 will be reviewed, and all financial items will be calculated. Ten per cent of this amount will be charged to Armenia,” Vasilyev stated, highlighting that the contribution is a matter of political decision by Armenia’s leadership.

He also noted that the CSTO budget is divided among member states according to a set proportion, with Russia covering 50 per cent of the total budget and the remaining 50 per cent distributed among the other five member countries.

In February 2024, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that Armenia would freeze its participation in the CSTO. Subsequently, in March 2024, Pashinyan indicated that Armenia might consider leaving the CSTO if it was dissatisfied with the organization's stance on various issues.