Armenia says 'froze' participation in Moscow-led security bloc
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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announces that Armenia has frozen its participation in the Russia-led CSTO.
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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attends a meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council of the EAEU countries in an expanded format at the Atakent Business Cooperation Center in Moscow, Russia, Friday, February 2, 2024. (AP)
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview published on Friday that Armenia suspended its participation in a Russia-led security bloc.
Both Russia and Armenia were traditionally allies, but relations soured when Russian peacekeepers did not intervene during the Azerbaijan-Armenia dispute. "In practice, we have frozen our participation in this organization," Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told the France 24 channel, referring to the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO).
The defense alliance, spearheaded by Russia, includes multiple former Soviet republics.
Moreover, Armenia abstained from attending a CSTO summit last year. "We believe that the CSTO did not fulfill its objectives vis-a-vis Armenia in 2021 and 2022," Pashinyan said in the interview, accusing Moscow of leading a "coordinated propaganda campaign" against him and his government.
In response, the Kremlin stated on Friday that it had not received official confirmation regarding Armenia's departure from the CSTO.
"We intend to contact our Armenian colleagues to clarify its statements on CSTO," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies.
In September, Azerbaijani forces retook control of Nagorno-Karabakh in a 24-hour operation that ended three decades of fighting over the region.
Yerevan steps away from Moscow
As a signal of its aspirations for fresh security assurances, Yerevan is aiming to increase reliance on its Western allies, particularly France and the United States, rather than on Russia.
For years, Moscow has served as the primary mediator in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh, but its involvement has been hampered by its two-year special operation in Ukraine.
However, Armenia officially became a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the beginning of February, despite warnings from Moscow urging the nation against doing so.
As a result, Armenia is now obligated to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he enters Armenian territory, according to an ICC arrest warrant issued for the Russian leader in March 2023.
