Zakharova: If CSTO left Armenia, as official Yerevan says, then how  can Armenia freeze its participation in it?

ArmInfo. Moscow categorically does not accept the accusations of the Armenian authorities regarding the alleged non-fulfillment of the CSTO mandate and obligations towards Yerevan during the well-known events that took place in the region in 2021 and 2022.  This was stated on February 28 during a weekly briefing by spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, when asked to comment on the Armenian prime minister's statements about Armenia's "freezing" of membership in the CSTO.

In this vein, Zakharova recalled that in September 2022, at the  request of the Armenian side, an assessment mission of the  Secretariat and the Joint Headquarters of the Organization was  promptly formed and sent to the border areas of the country.

The diplomat also noted that as a result, a decision was prepared by  the CSTO Collective Security Council on the deployment of a  monitoring mission in Armenia.

"It is not our fault or the fault of other members of the  Organization that this balanced decision, which also provided for the  provision of military-technical assistance to the Republic and a  number of other measures, was rejected by its authorities under  far-fetched pretexts.

In return, Yerevan demonstratively chose to invite 'pseudo-observers'  from the EU - the well-known facts speak for themselves and leave no  doubt about the zero effectiveness of their work. We proceed from the  fact that the Republic of Armenia continues to remain a full member  of the CSTO with all the rights and obligations arising from this  status. At the same time, we note with regret that the dynamics of  Yerevan's participation in the Organization's events has decreased,  which clearly does not meet the interests of the friendly Armenian  people and the tasks of ensuring the country's security," Zakharova  emphasized.  "We hope that Yerevan will understand that the existing  concerns should be discussed and resolved through a calm, credible  dialogue, and not by throwing endless, chaotic [statements] into the  public space," she noted.

At the same time, Zakharova emphasized that she does not really  understand the style and logic of those statements. She noted that  just recently the Armenian authorities said that the CSTO had left  Armenia.  "If the CSTO left Armenia, as official Yerevan says, then  how can Armenia freeze its participation in it," Zakharova asks.

Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview with  France24 on Friday that the collective security agreement regarding  Armenia was not implemented, and the republic froze its participation  in the CSTO. The CSTO Secretariat also stated that they had not  received relevant notifications from Yerevan.

Russian President Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also noted that Yerevan  did not send official notifications regarding the freeze of  membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization.  "The  Armenian side did not take any official actions in this regard. We  intend to contact with our colleagues and clarify the meaning of  these statements," he said. Peskov also noted that the Russian  President does not yet plan to discuss this issue with the Prime  Minister of Armenia.  Earlier, the Prime Minister of Armenia  repeatedly said that it was not Armenia that left the CSTO, but the  CSTO itself left Armenia.