BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 23. Russia firmly rejects the Armenian authorities' accusations regarding the Collective Security Treaty Organization's (CSTO) purported failure to meet its mandate and obligations to Armenia, Trend reports, referring to the Russian Foreign Ministry's statement to the TASS News Agency.
"We would like to reiterate our strong objection to the accusations made by the Armenian authorities concerning the CSTO's supposed neglect of its mandate and duties towards Armenia during the notable events in the region in 2021 and 2022," the ministry said.
Russia anticipates comprehensive clarifications from Armenia, conveyed through bilateral channels, regarding the implications of the statements made by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan concerning the "suspension of Armenia's participation" in the CSTO.
Armenia has chosen to invite observers from the European Union rather than the CSTO mission, and the facts unequivocally demonstrate the ineffectiveness of these pseudo-observers, as stated by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"In September 2022, the Armenian side requested a swift assessment mission from the secretariat and joint headquarters of the organization, which was promptly dispatched to the country's border regions. Subsequently, the CSTO Council formulated a decision for the deployment of a monitoring mission in Armenia, encompassing military-technical assistance and other measures. Regrettably, neither our fault nor that of other organization members, the Armenian authorities to reject this balanced decision, citing unfounded pretexts. Instead, Armenia openly chose to invite pseudo-observers from the EU, a decision supported by known facts that unequivocally underscore the inefficacy of their efforts," the Russian ministry said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry maintains the view that Armenia remains a full-fledged member of the CSTO, and, hopefully, Armenia will choose to address concerns through open and trusting dialogue.
"We base our perspective on the fact that Armenia remains a fully-fledged member of the CSTO, entailing all the associated rights and obligations. However, we express regret over the observed decline in Armenia's engagement in the organization's activities, which does not align with the interests of the amicable Armenian people and the imperative of ensuring the country's security. We anticipate that Armenia will recognize the importance of addressing existing concerns through a trusting dialogue, rather than amplifying them in the public domain," the diplomatic ministry noted.
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