Russia signals possible move to suspend Armenia’s CSTO voting rights

The issue of suspending Armenia’s voting rights in the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) could be considered at the organisation’s summit on November 11, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said in an interview with TASS.

“Any decisions concerning the possible adoption of restrictive measures against one of the organization’s members fall entirely within the prerogative of the Collective Security Council (which includes the heads of state of the CSTO member countries), which is entitled to make such decisions based on the provisions of the organization’s charter (with regard to your question, the applicable provisions are contained, in particular, in Articles 20 and 25),” Galuzin said, responding to a question about invoking the relevant provision of the charter concerning failure to fulfill obligations. “The next meeting of the Council will be held in Moscow on November 11.”

According to Galuzin, the CSTO Charter is an international treaty and must be faithfully complied with by all its parties, including the obligation of each member state to finance the activities of the CSTO’s bodies.

“Yerevan’s refusal to participate in the organisation’s work and to sign annual decisions on its budget merely means that it is not exercising the right it possesses, but does not terminate Armenia’s obligations to timely transfer its national contribution,” the senior diplomat noted.

“Proceeding from the principle of maintaining institutional effectiveness, every international organisation has procedures provided for in its founding documents for such a situation. The CSTO is no exception,” the Russian deputy foreign minister said.

By Jeyhun Aghazada