Armenian orientalist names two scenarios for Armenia`s withdrawal from  CSTO

ArmInfo. Armenia may be excluded from the CSTO due to its failure to fulfill financial obligations to the military alliance. Orientalist Sergey Melkonyan shared a similar opinion during a conversation with journalists in Yerevan.  The expert stated that  Armenia's current stance on being in the CSTO is obvious. "There may come a time when Armenia no longer aligns itself with this organization at all. Well, for now, it has de facto frozen its membership in the CSTO, although de jure it remains a part of the organization. However, if it continues to fail in meeting its financial obligations, it may be s forced to leave the organization against its will," Melkonyan believes.

According to him, there is a second possible scenario for Armenia's withdrawal from this Organization.  Melkonyan pointed out Azerbaijan's increasing militaristic rhetoric. "If  Azerbaijan were to launch an attack, regardless of its scale, and the CSTO fails to respond, this could potentially provide  Armenia  with a legitimate reason to leave the alliance. And then the financial obligations would be only a technicality," the expert noted. When asked about the impact of the country's parliament passing a law on European aspirations, Melkonyan noted that it doesn't offer any prospects for Armenia.

 "This document is not related to the process of joining the EU or obtaining candidate status for membership. This law, in my opinion, has a more domestic political nature before the upcoming parliamentary elections," he said. Melkonyan noted that not a single European state has responded to the adoption of this document by the Armenian legislative body. The orientalist is sure that this even creates problems in Armenia-EU relations, since it is imitative. "For at least the next ten years, Armenia cannot become a member of the EU, even if only for technical reasons, regardless the beautiful words that are spoken.  Moreover, withdrawal from the CSTO and membership in the EU are unrelated issues. But Armenia's withdrawal from the CSTO could potentially create new problems for the country," the expert believes. At the same time, he is sure that Armenian authorities' agenda does not include joining the European Union.