MOSCOW, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Armenia has lost its voting rights in the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) over its failure to pay membership dues, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.
"Due to the fact that Armenia has not fulfilled its obligations for several years, it was proposed and decided to strip Armenia of its voting rights, as well as the right to appoint its representatives to responsible positions in the CSTO," Peskov said.
The decision was made at a meeting of the CSTO Collective Security Council in Moscow, chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to Russian media reports, Yerevan has not been paying its membership dues to the organization since 2024. Article 25 of the CSTO charter stipulates that if a member state's debt to the budget exceeds a two-year period, it is stripped of its voting rights until the debt is fully repaid. Armenia, however, will retain its right to collective security.
CSTO Secretary-General Taalatbek Masadykov added that the issue of Armenia's expulsion from the organization was not on the agenda.
"Once Armenia decides to settle its outstanding contribution arrears, it may resume sending its staff and take part in the organization's work. The decision rests with Armenia's leadership," he said.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan earlier told the country's parliament that he favored the republic's withdrawal from the CSTO and would welcome such an outcome. He said Armenia had no intention of stepping up its engagement with the CSTO over the next five years, and its interest in the CSTO had waned. ■