YEREVAN – Armenia stated on Thursday that it has not resumed active membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) despite attending a meeting in Moscow with senior diplomats from ex-Soviet states within the Russian-led military alliance.
Gurgen Arsenian, Armenia’s ambassador to Russia, joined his counterparts from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday. According to a Russian summary of the meeting, the diplomats discussed “international and regional security” as well as preparations for the upcoming November 28 meeting in Astana, where CSTO foreign and defense ministers are expected to gather.
In response to questions about Arsenian’s presence at the meeting, the Armenian Foreign Ministry clarified that “Armenia’s position on freezing participation in the work of the CSTO has not changed.” The ministry did not specify whether Yerevan will participate in the Astana gathering.
Armenia initially froze its participation in the CSTO due to the bloc’s failure to fulfill its obligations.
