Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov has called for restricting Armenia’s access to classified documents of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), citing concerns about the potential use of sensitive information.
On November 11, participants at a CSTO summit in Moscow decided to strip Armenia of its voting rights within the organization and its ability to appoint representatives to senior positions.
“I am confident that access to documents that are generally classified will be restricted,” Ryzhenkov said, RIA Novosti reports.
The minister questioned whether Armenia should retain full access to sensitive CSTO information, arguing that its current political position was inconsistent with the principles of allied relations.
He questioned the need to “provide such a pseudo-ally today with full access to documents containing highly classified information on such matters.”
According to Ryzhenkov, the possibility that confidential information could be used against the interests of member states seeking to develop the organization could not be ruled out.
He said CSTO members intended to continue cooperation “in a positive spirit of solidarity and unity,” while the potential misuse of classified information could undermine those objectives.
The Belarusian foreign minister stressed that Armenia’s changing attitude toward integration organizations reflected decisions made by the country’s political leadership rather than the Armenian people.
In his assessment, Yerevan had reconsidered its approach to both the CSTO and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
Ryzhenkov described Armenia’s current position as “passive participation,” accusing its authorities of seeking benefits from the organizations only when they served the country’s interests.
“This amounts to using certain knowledge and advantages gained through participation in these associations for self-serving purposes that do not coincide with the goals of the integration organizations. We want to be strong and united in political, economic and security matters,” he said.
The minister also referred to the economic benefits Armenia receives through cooperation, particularly energy prices and conditions for transporting goods.
“The situation is as follows: ‘I will pick and choose what interests me from what you offer — gas and oil prices, transporting my goods to the end consumer — and we are not interested in the rest.’ Such an attitude could not go unnoticed,” Ryzhenkov said, commenting on the decision concerning Armenia adopted at the Moscow summit.
In 2024, Armenia announced that it was “freezing” its participation in the CSTO, although the organization’s charter does not provide for such a status. Yerevan subsequently stopped paying its membership contributions.
