During a parliamentary session on June 12, Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan hinted at the possibility of Armenia's withdrawal from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Responding to a question from opposition faction deputy Tadevos Avetisyan, Pashinyan emphasized that the country will independently decide on its exit from the bloc.
The Prime Minister referred to the CSTO as a "bubble," claiming that it includes countries that had planned a war against Armenia alongside Azerbaijan. In response to opposition deputies' remarks on why Armenian authorities haven't yet made a decision to leave the CSTO, Pashinyan confidently stated that it's a matter of time and added that they will decide when to exit.
"We will leave, and what are you scaring us with? We are doing the right thing... we will decide when to leave. What do you think, what's the next step, should we return?" Pashinyan said.
Previously, the Prime Minister had noted that at least two CSTO member countries were aware of the preparations for war against Armenia.
Relations between Armenia and Russia have become strained over the past two years, especially after Armenia applied to Russia and the CSTO for help following the September military actions but did not receive the expected assistance. This year, Prime Minister Pashinyan announced the de facto freezing of Armenia's membership in the alliance, and in early May, official Yerevan ceased funding CSTO activities.
