The Collective Security Treaty Organization could temporarily suspend Armenia’s voting rights next week because the country has not paid membership dues for more than two years, a senior Russian diplomat said.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin told TASS that the measure would be a technical procedure allowed under the CSTO Charter. The restriction could remain in effect until Armenia resumes payments.
Pankin stressed that no decision has been made. The issue would depend on the positions of the leaders of the member states and whether they agree to place it on the agenda.
Issue Could Be Discussed Nov. 11
The CSTO Collective Security Council is scheduled to meet in Moscow on Nov. 11. Meetings of the organization’s foreign and defense ministers and security council secretaries are planned before the summit.
Armenia announced in 2024 that it was freezing its participation in the Russian-led security alliance and stopped paying membership fees. It nevertheless remains a formal member alongside Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
The CSTO Charter does not provide a separate procedure for “freezing” membership. A suspension of voting rights would be the first concrete restriction on Armenia’s powers after more than two years of political distancing from the organization.
Sources: Vesti Baku; APA; CSTO.