Britain acknowledges Armenia's decision to freeze its membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and is prepared to offer support against threats from Russia.
This was stated by British Deputy Defense Minister James Heappey in a written response to inquiries from British parliamentarians about "how he assesses the potential benefits for Britain's defense industry from Armenia's withdrawal from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)."
Although, as Heappey noted, the "freezing" of Armenia's membership in the CSTO does not yet mean an official withdrawal from the organization. Nevertheless, Britain, he said, will closely collaborate with Armenia to explore opportunities for closer cooperation.
He also noted that Britain has already signed an embargo by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on arms exports, which limits potential benefits for the British defense industry upon Armenia's exit from the CSTO. However, he assured that Britain will seek opportunities for cooperation within established limitations.
These statements from Minister Heappey were made against the backdrop of increasing discussions about Armenia's future in light of its relations with the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, speaking in an interview with France24, stated that Yerevan has effectively frozen its participation in the CSTO because, in his opinion, the organization failed to fulfill its obligations to protect Armenia, especially in 2021-2022.
Pashinyan's statement intensified tensions in already strained Armenian-Russian relations. The Armenian prime minister then threatened to freeze the country's participation "de jure" if the CSTO fails to fulfill its obligations.
