Alexander Pracht
Armenia has been deprived of its voting rights in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) over unpaid membership fees, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced on Wednesday.
The decision was made at a CSTO leaders’ summit in Moscow. It also bars Armenia from appointing representatives to senior positions within the organisation.
CSTO Secretary General Taalatbek Masadykov said on Wednesday that Armenia could regain its voting rights after paying its outstanding membership fees. He added that a potential expulsion of Armenia from the bloc had not been discussed at the summit.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced in February 2024 that the country had effectively suspended its membership in the CSTO, accusing the organisation of failing to fulfil its security commitments during the 2021–2022 border clashes with Azerbaijan. During that period, Azerbaijani forces made multiple incursions into Armenia’s internationally recognized territory, parts of which remain under Azerbaijani control.
Since then, Armenia has stopped paying membership fees, participating in joint military exercises, and attending or voting at CSTO meetings. In September 2024, Pashinyan described the bloc as “a threat to Armenia’s security.”
Last week, Pashinyan said Armenia was “no longer interested” in CSTO membership. In August, he said his government would not oppose the country's expulsion from the organisation.
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