The security of Armenia, including in the military-technical sphere, is impossible without cooperation in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). This was stated on February 1 by Viktor Vasiliev, Ambassador at Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry for CSTO issues.
“I cannot disclose to you information that clearly demonstrates that the security of Armenia, including in the military-technical field, is not possible without cooperation within the CSTO,” the diplomat said in a conversation with “RIA News”.
He noted that Russia clearly sees the attempts of Western countries that want to use the situation in Armenia to escalate the situation not only in the country itself, but throughout the Caucasus.
“We use discussions within the CSTO at all levels in order to focus the attention of our Armenian colleagues on this conscious policy of Western countries,” Vasiliev emphasized.
The ambassador also noted that at present the issue of Armenia’s withdrawal from the CSTO is not under discussion. Answering the question about Armenia’s non-participation in the organization’s events, Vasiliev emphasized that this is solely the choice of Yerevan, although it was made under external pressure.
Earlier, on December 28, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Armenia was exchanging a reliable alliance with Russia for vague promises, succumbing to the persuasion of the West. However, he emphasized that Armenia still remains Russia’s strategic partner in the South Caucasus.
Before this, on October 25, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Armenia remains part of the CSTO for now. On October 9, informed sources told Izvestia that Armenia has not yet submitted a candidacy for the post of permanent representative of the republic in the CSTO, while Yerevan has not taken steps aimed at leaving the organization.
Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov noted on October 13 that Russia and Armenia continue to remain neighbors and allies, united by a common history and a common future.
In September, Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturian signed a decree recalling the republic’s permanent representative to the CSTO, Viktor Biyagov, and he received a new appointment as ambassador to the Netherlands and the country’s permanent representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
Relations between Armenia and the CSTO deteriorated in November 2022, when the prime minister of the Transcaucasian republic refused to sign the draft declaration of the CSTO CSTO “On joint measures to assist the Republic of Armenia” due to the lack of a clear, according to Nikol Pashinyan, political assessment of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh .
Later, in May 2023, the Armenian leader allowed the country to leave the CSTO. On September 27, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, announced the information available to the Russian side about the actions being taken in Brussels and Washington to persuade Yerevan to leave the CSTO.
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