CSTO secretary-general hopes Armenia will return to full membership

Imangali Tasmagambetov, Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), has expressed hope that Armenia will resume full participation in the bloc.

According to Tasmagambetov, Armenia has currently paused its activities within the organisation, reflecting the position of its political leadership regarding the CSTO, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media. 

"This is a decision of an independent and sovereign state, and no other country or organisation can influence it,” Tasmagambetov said.

He added that Armenia “has been and remains our ally” and expressed optimism that the country would re-engage fully with the CSTO in the near future.

“There are all the conditions and prerequisites for this. We assume that the Armenian people are interested in creating a common security space in Eurasia. Moreover, in November, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry stated that the question of leaving the CSTO is not on the agenda,” Tasmagambetov noted.

By Aghakazim Guliyev