Translated with AI
The foreign ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states will discuss the possibility of applying measures stipulated by the organization's charter to Armenia in connection with its arrears in mandatory contributions. This was announced by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov following a meeting of the CSTO foreign ministers.
According to Lavrov, the issue of Armenia's debt was discussed during the consultations. He noted that Yerevan's debt to the organization's budget has been outstanding for over two years. In this regard, the parties agreed to explore the possibility of invoking the relevant article of the CSTO Charter.
According to the organization's statutory provisions, if a member state fails to pay off its debt to the CSTO budget within two years, the Collective Security Council has the right to suspend its right to nominate candidates for quota positions and to deprive it of voting rights until the debt is fully repaid.
Furthermore, for systematic violation of its obligations, a state may be expelled from the organization or its participation in the Collective Security Council may be restricted. In this case, the relevant decision is made without regard to the vote of the country under consideration.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has previously stated repeatedly that Yerevan will decide to withdraw from the CSTO when it deems it necessary. Armenia has frozen its membership in the organization since 2024.
