CSTO may discuss stripping Armenia of voting rights

Mikhail Galuzin, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, said the question of stripping Armenia of its voting rights in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) could be put on the agenda of the organization’s summit in Moscow on November 11. According to him, such decisions fall within the competence of the Collective Security Council, which includes the leaders of member states, and are made on the basis of the organization’s charter, in particular Articles 20 and 25.

The diplomat stressed that the CSTO Charter is an international treaty binding on all members, including with regard to funding the organization’s bodies. He noted that Yerevan’s refusal to take part in meetings and its failure to sign budget decisions does not exempt Armenia from paying its national contribution.

“Based on the principle of preserving institutional effectiveness, every international organization has corresponding procedures in place, and the CSTO is no exception,” Galuzin added.