Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretary General Taalatbek Masadykov said on Friday that the military alliance may decide on Armenia’s withdrawal at its upcoming summit in the Russian capital Moscow next month.
In remarks to Russian state news agency Tass published overnight, Masadykov said Yerevan’s withdrawal from the alliance “could happen” if the issue is brought up at the CSTO summit on Nov. 10-11 and that proposals are typically submitted either by the presiding country or by another member state.
“In practice, this aligns with Article 25 of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Charter, which stipulates that if membership dues are not paid and quota-based positions remain unfilled, a member state loses its voting rights,” Masadykov said.
Noting that Armenia is not taking part in CSTO sessions, Masadykov said an Armenian representative still attends the weekly meetings of the Permanent Council.
“The Armenian representative listens and, presumably, reports back to their capital about what we are discussing and what decisions are being reached – in fact, they are privy to all the issues under discussion and any potential decisions being considered,” he added.
The CSTO is a military alliance formed in 2002, comprising Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Armenia, which suspended its participation in CSTO activities in early 2024.
Last month, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during parliamentary discussions that Yerevan does not seek to take part in CSTO activities over the next five years.
“I know that there are discussions in the CSTO and that they may expel our country from the organization. I would be very happy if the organization decided to expel Armenia from the CSTO. It would free us from the dilemma of whether or not to withdraw,” Pashinyan was quoted as saying by state news agency Armenpress.
