Russia Pushes for Armenia’s Active Role in CSTO
(MENAFN) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed on Wednesday that Russia is keen on Armenia's active involvement in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
Armenia had suspended its participation in the CSTO last February, and in May, it announced it would also stop contributing financially to the military alliance, which was established in 2002.
The shift away from CSTO is largely due to Armenia’s dissatisfaction with the organization's handling of its security issues, particularly in light of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan.
During a joint press briefing with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Yerevan, Lavrov discussed the countries’ bilateral agreements, focusing on economic and security cooperation.
He mentioned that preparations are underway for a third ministerial meeting in the "3+3" format, with Russia supporting the idea of holding the next sessions in the capitals of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“I believe that the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, who wish to host this event, can fully agree among themselves, and we are ready to facilitate this regarding the sequence of the meeting,” Lavrov stated.
Lavrov also accused France of leading a "hostile camp" against Russia, claiming that French President Emmanuel Macron and his government “are seething with hatred towards Russia.”
Mirzoyan expressed Armenia’s hope for a peace agreement with Azerbaijan "in the near future," adding that the potential reopening of regional communications could boost economic ties between Yerevan and Moscow.
He also reassured that Armenia intends to maintain its alliance with Russia, but acknowledged that "there are concerns in Armenia that the mechanisms have not always worked to their full potential, but that is a completely different matter.”
Lavrov, who arrived in Yerevan on a two-day official visit on Tuesday, is scheduled to meet with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Vahagn Khachaturyan.
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