CSTO secretary-general: “Armenia has effectively withdrawn from the organisation”

A meeting of the foreign ministers, defence ministers and secretaries of security councils of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) member states is being held in Moscow.

According to TodayPress TV, citing APA, the meeting is discussing the global military and political situation, regional security and the implementation of Russia's priorities during its current CSTO chairmanship.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov delivered the opening address.

Armenia, a CSTO member state, has once again boycotted the high-level event in Moscow. No representatives from Armenia attended the meeting.

Russian officials and the CSTO leadership have said that one of the key issues on the agenda of the organisation's Moscow meetings will be the future of Armenia's membership in the CSTO.

The organisation's Secretary-General, Taalatbek Masadykov, said that Armenia had effectively withdrawn from the CSTO. He noted that the Armenian side was not participating in discussions or decision-making and was not attending the organisation's main events or military exercises.

The secretary-general believes that this situation is related to Article 25 of the CSTO Charter and that Armenia has effectively withdrawn from the organisation on its own.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, meanwhile, said she did not rule out the possibility of discussing restrictive measures against Armenia at the CSTO summit.

It should be noted that a summit of CSTO member states' leaders is scheduled to take place in Moscow on November 11.