Russian Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Mikhail Galuzin, in an interview with the TASS news agency, said that the issue of depriving Armenia of its voting rights in the CSTO military alliance may be discussed at the organization’s summit on November 11.

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, in February 2024, announced his government had suspended its participation in the CSTO and accused the organization of failing to fulfill its security obligations to Armenia in 2021-2022 when Azerbaijani forces crossed the border into Armenia and seized dozens of square kilometers of its sovereign territory.

“Yerevan’s refusal to participate in the organization’s work and failure to sign annual decisions on the organization’s budget only means non-use of its right but does not suspend Armenia’s obligations to transfer its national contribution on time,” the Russian official stated.

In May 2024, Armenia announced it would no longer make financial contributions to CSTO.

Armenia recalled Viktor Biyagov, its permanent representative to CSTO, in 2023 and has yet to appoint his replacement.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced on June 10 that due to Armenia's failure to make payments to CSTO the organization will consider activating the article of the charter that regulates actions against member states that fail to fulfill their obligations.

Pashinyan has stated that if the bloc decides to expel Armenia, Yerevan will simply "take note of that decision".

Photo: Press Service of the President of Kazakhstan