Lavrov: CSTO will consider applying charter articles to Armenia due  to non-payment of  membership fees

ArmInfo. The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will consider applying the relevant article of the association's charter to Armenia due to the  country's failure to pay membership fees for two years, as stated by  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a press conference  following the CSTO Foreign Ministers' Council meeting in Kazan.

He acknowledged that Armenia did not participate in CSTO events once  again, although it formally remains a full member of the military  bloc. He also noted that the flag of the country was present at the  event. Lavrov went on to say Armenia's approach to its membership in  the CSTO and the Eurasian Economic Union is similar. The Russian  Foreign Minister also recalled that when Nikol Pashinyan was just  entering mainstream politics, he formed his own movement called  "ELK." In this vein, he noted that the goal was openly expressed at  the time, to withdraw from all structures existing at that time in  the post- Soviet space involving former Soviet countries. "No one is  talking about a referendum on Armenia's membership, but they don't  participate in the CSTO's work, while formally remaining a member.  For over two years, I believe, our Armenian colleagues haven't  attended events. Meanwhile, cooperation is actively expanding,  military exercises are underway, military equipment is being  purchased, and military delegations are being exchanged with both  NATO and the EU, which is now turning into a militarized structure. 

"On June 7, the day of elections in Armenia, my colleague Ararat  Samvelovich Mirzoyan, when asked about the CSTO, said: 'We do not pay  dues because we simply do not participate.' We discussed today what  to do in this situation. And for more than two years, Armenia has  been in debt to the CSTO budget. This situation is stipulated by the  charter of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. And today we  have agreed to look into the use of the relevant article of the CSTO  Charter," Lavrov said.