Russian permanent representative: The question of stripping Armenia of its voting rights in the CSTO will be decided by consensus

A decision on the possible suspension of Armenia's voting rights in CSTO bodies can only be made by consensus of the organization's member states.

Russia's permanent representative to the CSTO, Viktor Vasilyev, said this to RIA Novosti.

"The next session of the CSTO Collective Security Council will be held in Moscow on November 11, and the leaders of the states will probably discuss this issue. A decision on it, if one is required, will be made by consensus," Vasilyev said.

The permanent representative explained that Article 25 of the CSTO Charter provides for the possibility of suspending a state's right to nominate its citizens for quota positions in the organization's bodies, as well as its voting rights, if the country fails for more than two years to fulfill its obligations to pay contributions to the CSTO budget.

At the same time, according to Vasilyev, such a situation has in fact already developed.

"De facto, this state of affairs has been in place for more than two years, since Armenia does not nominate its citizens for quota positions in the Secretariat and has also recalled its representatives from the CSTO Joint Staff," he noted.

In June, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that because of Armenia's arrears in membership contributions to the CSTO, the organization would consider the possibility of applying the article of the charter that regulates measures against states failing to fulfill their obligations.

Armenia announced the "freezing" of its participation in the CSTO in February 2024. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan explained this by saying that the allies had not fulfilled their obligations under the Collective Security Treaty with respect to Armenia in 2021–2022.

The CSTO includes Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.