Pashinyan: Collective Security Treaty Organization threatens Armenia’s national security
29 February, 2024 Russian "peacekeepers" in Nagorno-Karabakh. Photo credits: Russian media Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan considers the Russian-led CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) alliance a threat to his country's national security.
He stated this during a speech in parliament. According to him, instead of ensuring the protection of each country of the CSTO, Russia only creates new threats that negatively affect Armenia's security. "Instead of fulfilling its security obligations to Armenia, the CSTO is creating problems.
And this position, to put it bluntly, is a threat to Armenia's national security," Pashinyan claimed.
A member of the Armenian military forces. Photo from open sources
In addition, he added that during the war with Azerbaijan, Russia did not fulfill a single point to ensure support and protection of Armenia. On the contrary, Russia's policy was aimed at demonstrating a completely opposite position, which put the country in a difficult position.
According to Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia's membership in the CSTO is currently practically frozen. "You know that the collective security treaty does not actually work in relation to Armenia, as the events of 2021-2022 have shown. This could not go unnoticed by us.
Today, we have practically frozen our participation in the CSTO," he added.
Officials of Azerbaijan and Armenia at the talks in Moscow. October 2020. Photo credits: Voice of America
The country does not participate in discussions within the CSTO, nor does it block the proposals of the parties, as it does not currently have a permanent representative.
Militarnyi previously reported that the Russian leadership is dissatisfied with Armenia's joint exercises with the United States.
In September 2023, the Armed Forces of Armenia conducted the Eagle Partner military exercises, aimed at increasing the level of operational interoperability.
In early September, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica that Armenia's focus only on Russia was a strategic mistake and that Russia could completely withdraw from the region.