MOSCOW, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Although Armenia has refrained from participating in the activities of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretariat, it has not officially declared its suspension from the CSTO, Russian media reported on Tuesday.
"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. However, the organization's activities continue in full, all procedures are observed in full accordance with the CSTO regulatory framework," CSTO Secretary-General Imangali Tasmagambetov was quoted by Russia's TASS news agency as saying.
The secretariat maintains daily communication with Yerevan about the decisions. Despite statements from Armenian officials, no official notification of membership suspension has been received, he said.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan previously told France 24 that Yerevan had suspended its participation in the CSTO, citing unfulfilled obligations during the border escalation with Azerbaijan. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned ongoing Moscow-Yerevan contacts to clarify Pashinyan's statements.
CSTO is a Russia-led military alliance established in 1992 that brings together six former Soviet republics: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. Its primary objective is to maintain peace and stability in Eurasia. ■
