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Russia has said that there is no conflict between the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and Armenia.
“There is no conflict between Armenia and the CSTO,” Moscow’s Permanent Representative to the CSTO, Viktor Vasilyev, told RIA Novosti.
Vasilyev also addressed the extent to which the issues between Armenia and the CSTO were linked to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, expressing regret that the conflict could not be resolved peacefully.
“For many years, efforts were made, including through various international formats, to find compromise solutions for the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh. Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin personally proposed relevant solutions, which are well known to the leaderships of both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, it was not possible to reach an agreement through peaceful means, primarily between the parties to this territorial dispute. As a result of the conflict, there were casualties among both the civilian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and Russian peacekeepers. I believe that the citizens of Armenia should also remember this. However, in any case, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict had nothing to do with the CSTO’s mandate, and Yerevan knows this,” Vasilyev said.
He added that Moscow seeks to preserve friendly relations between Russia and Armenia, taking into account the interconnected histories and destinies of the two peoples, which have developed not only over decades but also over centuries.
“The other CSTO member states also have their own interests and their own histories of relations with the Republic of Armenia,” he noted.
Armenia suspended its participation in CSTO activities in 2024, citing the organization’s failure to fulfill its security commitments.