PM: Armenia has no plans to deepen engagement with CSTO

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said his government does not intend to intensify its participation in the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), a position outlined in its election program.

At a press conference, Pashinyan made it clear that the government has no plans to “reactivate” or expand its engagement with the bloc, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

“Our election program clearly states that we will not take steps to intensify our work in the CSTO,” he noted.

Addressing the possibility of withdrawing from the organisation, Pashinyan added that no final decision has been made and that it will depend on how the situation develops.

The CSTO, formerly named the Collective Security Treaty (CST), was signed on May 15, 1992, by several post-Soviet independent states, including Armenia.

Since late 2022, Armenia has significantly downgraded its relations with the CSTO.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov