CSTO: Nikol Pashinyan says Armenia’s interest has “run its course”, Moscow replies no one is holding it back
- Published
- Place
- Yerevan, Armenia
- Event date
- Past event —
Summary
“I want us to state once and for all that our interest in the CSTO has run its course,” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday 5 November at his briefing at government headquarters. He was reacting to the possible application to Armenia of Article 25 of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation’s charter, which would strip Yerevan of its voting rights over unpaid contributions. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan recalled that there is no mechanism for expelling a member. In the evening, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova replied that Armenia has not paid its contributions for almost three years and that the issue could be discussed at the Moscow summit. Yerevan can return to full participation, she added, but “no one intends to hold” partners in the organisation by force, and they are free to leave under the charter.
Analysis
Armenia froze its participation in the CSTO in February 2024, after the alliance failed to support it against Azerbaijan. Pashinyan goes a step further by calling Armenia’s interest exhausted, without announcing a formal withdrawal. Moscow, for its part, takes care to point out that leaving is possible, provided debts are settled. Each capital seems to be waiting for the other to take responsibility for the break, as the debate over choosing between the European Union and the Eurasian Union intensifies.
Possible consequences
The CSTO summit in Moscow will show whether Article 25 is applied. Zakharova also mentioned a meeting of CIS security council secretaries on 9 November in Moscow, where Yerevan could clarify its position.
