Imangali Tasmagambetov, Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), expressed concerns regarding sentiments among certain Armenian elites but emphasized hopes for the political sobriety of the country's leadership.
Addressing the issue of potential suspensions of Armenia's participation in the CSTO, Tasmagambetov underscored the enduring alliance between Yerevan and the organization.
"I will not hide those certain events and sentiments among some of the Armenian elites cause concern. But we hope for the political sobriety of the political leadership of Armenia and a balanced assessment of the prospects for the implementation of various scenarios in relation to the organization. Let me emphasize that Armenia remains our ally, all existing obligations remain in force," he stated in a recent interview with TASS.
Regarding any potential statements from Yerevan about suspending participation in the organization, Tasmagambetov reiterated the CSTO's commitment to existing procedures and regulations. "Both I and the secretariat work in strict accordance with the regulations and procedures adopted by the organization. We, of course, with the help of our analysts and the tools available to them, analyze the situation around Armenia and in Armenia’s relations with the organization," he affirmed.
Moreover, Tasmagambetov has addressed the absence of official statements regarding the suspension of Armenia's membership.
Despite Armenia's recent disengagement from the CSTO secretariat's activities, Tasmagambetov emphasized the lack of formal communication regarding the suspension of Armenia's membership in the organization. He affirmed the CSTO's commitment to respecting the decisions of sovereign states, highlighting that the organization's operations continue unabated within the confines of its regulatory framework, TASS reports.
Tasmagambetov stated, "Yerevan has indeed not recently participated in the work of the CSTO secretariat. This is Armenia’s decision at this stage, and we, as an international organization, respect any decision of a sovereign state."
Furthermore, he underscored the ongoing communication between the secretariat and relevant Armenian authorities, indicating that daily updates and decisions are relayed to Yerevan. Despite recent statements by Armenian officials, including Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's remarks about the suspension of participation in the CSTO, Tasmagambetov clarified that no official notification regarding membership suspension had been received by the secretariat.
"The secretariat informs the relevant structures in Yerevan on a daily basis about the decisions taken and adopted. Regarding the mentioned statements by officials of the Republic of Armenia, I note that the secretariat did not receive any official statements from Yerevan about the suspension of membership in the organization," he added.
Prime Minister Pashinyan had previously voiced Armenia's suspension of participation in the CSTO, citing the organization's alleged failure to meet its obligations during border escalations with Azerbaijan in the years 2021-2022. Dmitry Peskov, the Press Secretary of the Russian President, acknowledged ongoing discussions between Moscow and Yerevan to clarify Pashinyan's statements.
