Armenia mulls CSTO exit over security failures, eyes Western ties

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated the country would exit the CSTO without a satisfactory resolution to its security inquiries, as cited by "The Kyiv Independent." "If the CSTO clarifies the extent of its responsibility in Armenia in a way that aligns with our perspective, then we will consider the matter resolved. If not, Armenia will withdraw from the CSTO," Pashinyan expressed.

The strain in the Yerevan-Moscow relationship surfaced as Russia and its peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh failed to stop Azerbaijan's military takeover of the region. Article 4 of the alliance's treaty mandates that all member states must aid a member experiencing aggression, a principle paralleled by NATO's Article 5. Nonetheless, the CSTO did not step in during Azerbaijan's assault in September 2023.

In response, Armenia suspended its participation in the CSTO in February and, in March, urged Moscow to cease the activities of Russian border guards at Armenia's capital airport, as reported by PAP.

Amid growing tensions with its former ally, Armenia is looking to forge stronger connections with Western countries. PAP disclosed last week that Yerevan is "actively considering" EU membership. "Considering the challenges we've confronted in the past few years, we are now actively exploring new avenues. It's no secret that EU membership is among the possibilities being discussed," Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan announced.

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Source: The Kyiv Independent, PAP