Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin has accused Armenia of attempting to shift responsibility for its decisions onto other members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
Pankin said Armenia remains a full member despite freezing its participation and suspending membership contributions, TASS reported.
“We are not excluding Yerevan from our cooperation,” he said, adding that Armenia could still join decisions made within the organization. However, he claimed Moscow had seen no reciprocal steps from Yerevan.
Pankin also cited the CSTO Charter, under which member states may lose voting rights until outstanding membership contributions are paid.
Ahead of the CSTO summit scheduled for November 11 in Moscow, the diplomat said leaders would consider documents aimed at strengthening the organization and discuss international and regional security issues.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan previously expressed support for leaving the CSTO, saying Armenia had no intention of resuming active participation over the next five years.
Yerevan froze its participation in the organization in 2024, with Pashinyan arguing that the CSTO had posed threats to Armenia’s sovereignty.
