Collective Security Treaty Organisation urges Armenia to officially clarify its status

Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) Imangali Tasmagambetov has said that the CSTO expects Armenia to officially clarify its status in the organisation.

Tasmagambetov made these remarks on the sidelines of a meeting of the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers, Caliber.Az reports.

Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reiterated that Armenia had frozen its participation in the CSTO.

“I think that the Armenian political leadership will clarify the situation, and there will be an official decision - to be part of the organisation or not,” he said.

“Meanwhile, the CSTO retains all obligations to Armenia, the country remains an ally of the organisation,” Tasmagambetov noted.

“Armenia was and is our ally in the CSTO, and all our obligations to Armenia remain. The issue of membership in the organisation is the sovereign right and decision of the country,” he said.

Yerevan accuses the organisation of failing to fulfill its obligations to ensure Armenia’s security. The Armenian authorities have not participated in the CSTO’s activity for a long time.

While delivering a speech in the parliament on June 13, Pashinyan said that another logical step would be Armenia’s withdrawal from this organisation. He also once again criticized the CSTO and accused it of inaction.

In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the CSTO is not holding member states by force; if there is something to say, let Armenia say it openly and directly.