The CSTO is leaving Armenia, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said, stressing that Yerevan is worried about it.
Nikol Pashinyan actually announced Armenia's withdrawal from the CSTO at today's press conference.
He recalled that when CSTO chairman Stanislav Zas had visited Armenia in 2022, he told about the concern that Armenia will leave the CSTO. Pashinyan said back then that this fear is not appropriate, but there's a concern that the CSTO will leave Armenia.
"My assessment is that the CSTO is leaving the Republic of Armenia willingly or unwillingly, and that worries us," Pashinyan said.
According to him, Armenia would be happy to take over the position of the CSTO Deputy Secretary General if assuming that position does not result in a wrong message being sent to the Armenian people.
"If it means adding another factor of ensuring the security of Armenia, if it doesn't mean that, we don't see the point in taking such a step - at least from the logic of being honest with our people," the PM said.
Pashinyan proposes sending an international mission to Karabakh
The PM also expressed his opinion on the need for the presence of an international mission in the Lachin corridor and Karabakh.
He groundlessly accused Azerbaijan of escalating tension and aggression. Based on these accusations, Pashinyan announced an alleged threat of escalation in the zone of temporary deployment of Russian peacekeepers and on the border of Azerbaijan and Armenia.
According to him, that is why Armenia invited EU observers - the world community should be aware of the situation. Moreover, the Armenian PM is convinced that an international observation mission should be send to Karabakh and the Lachin corridor, located in Azerbaijan.
