Moscow says Armenia distances itself from CSTO before organization's summit

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin redirected journalists' question to Yerevan about Armenia's participation in the upcoming summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Astana.

“Address the question to the Armenian side. But judging by the statements of the Armenian side, it is distancing itself at this stage from participation,” the Russian deputy foreign minister explained, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

He added that Yerevan has distanced itself from participation in all forms of joint work of the CSTO members.

Kazakhstan is the current chairman of the CSTO. Astana will host the organisation's summit on November 28, as well as a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, Defence Ministries and the Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils.

Notably, Armenia began boycotting high-level meetings, military exercises and other activities of the CSTO last fall before announcing an effective suspension of its membership in the organization. The move reflected a broader deterioration of Russian-Armenian relations. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s administration has been seeking to reorient Armenia towards the West in response to what it sees as Russia’s and the CSTO’s failure to honour their security commitments to the South Caucasus state.

Pashinyan declared in September that Yerevan’s relationship with its ex-Soviet allies is likely to reach the “point of no return” because the CSTO poses an existential threat to his country. The Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed the claim as illogical, arguing that Pashinian is still careful not to leave the alliance altogether.

By Khagan Isayev