Imangali Tasmagambetov: We hope that Armenian leadership will clarify  prospects for its relations with CSTO

ArmInfo. The CSTO expects that Yerevan will clarify the prospects for its relations with the Organization. CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov stated at a meeting of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly (PA) Council in Almaty on June 3. notably, Armenia again did not participate in the work of the CSTO PA Council.

"I will say a few words about the situation with  the Republic of Armenia. Over the past year, our partners from  Armenia have significantly reduced their participation in the  Organization's events. Nevertheless, the main mechanisms of  interaction are functioning. The Republic of Armenia remains a full  member of the Organization; all obligations towards this country  remain in full.

We expect that the political leadership of the Republic will clarify  the prospects for its relations with the CSTO. This would be  beneficial to all participants of our association, first of all, for  the full planning of future joint activities," Tasmagambetov  emphasized.

Speaking about the situation in the CSTO zone of action, the  Secretary General drew attention to the fact that the  military-political situation in the world continues to undergo a  profound transformation. The conflict potential is growing in a  number of regions directly adjacent to the CSTO's zone of  responsibility.  "The situation in Eastern Europe and the Middle East  is of serious concern. Internal political processes in Afghanistan  remain complex and there are still tangible risks in the South  Caucasus. At the same time, the CSTO is a key factor in maintaining  stability in the Eurasian space, capable of ensuring the security of  the Organization's member states. The CSTO's commitment to a unifying  agenda and the search for solutions for a comprehensive and long-term  settlement of crisis situations, primarily through political and  diplomatic means, remains unchanged. At the same time, today, given  the new political realities, the need to further improve the  activities of our Organization is becoming especially relevant," the  CSTO Secretary General noted.

In an interview with France24 at the end of February, the Prime  Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, said that the collective  security agreement with Armenia was not fulfilled, and the republic  has frozen its participation in the CSTO.

The CSTO Secretariat said that it had not received any relevant  notifications from Yerevan. And the Russian Foreign Ministry demanded  clarification on this issue from Armenia. The Russian department  expressed confidence that reducing Armenia's participation in CSTO  events does not meet the interests of the Armenian people. Belarusian  President Alexander Lukashenko expressed confidence that the CSTO  "will not collapse" without Armenia. Later, Armenia also refused to  fulfill its financial obligations to the CSTO.