Belarus Foreign Minister: It would be advisable for Armenia to restrict access to classified CSTO documents

ArmInfo. It would be advisable for Armenia to restrict access to classified documents of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), stated Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov.

"I am confident that access to some documents that are completely classified will be restricted," Ryzhenkov said on the Belarus 1 TV channel.

He questioned whether Armenia should be granted full access to the organization's classified documents, calling the country a "pseudo-ally." Ryzhenkov did not rule out that such information could theoretically be used to the detriment of the interests of states that intend to develop the CSTO as an integration association based on solidarity.

The Belarusian Foreign Minister added that, in his opinion, the change in attitude toward integration structures is not due to the Armenian people, but to the position of the country's top leadership. He pointed to Armenia's participation in the CSTO and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which he characterized as passive and selective.

"This is the use of some knowledge and some advantage derived from participation in these associations for selfish interests that do not align with the goals of the integration associations,"

- stated the Belarusian Foreign Minister.

As examples, he cited favorable gas and oil prices for Armenia, as well as the ability to transport goods to end consumers. According to Ryzhenkov, Yerevan enjoys the benefits of participating in the associations, but distances itself from its other obligations.

The statement was made following the CSTO summit in Moscow, where a decision was made to strip Armenia of its voting rights in the organization and the ability to appoint its representatives to senior positions. Armenia itself did not participate in the meeting.

As a reminder, Armenia has been boycotting CSTO events since late 2022. In February 2024, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that Armenia had effectively frozen its participation in the CSTO, as the organization had failed to fulfill its obligations to Armenia, which could not go without consequences. And on September 18, 2024, at the Second Armenian World Summit, Pashinyan declared that the CSTO posed threats to Armenia's security, its continued existence, sovereignty, and statehood.