Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that the country's authorities have no plans to return to the pro-Russian military-political bloc, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). This position is included in the election platform of his Civil Contract party ahead of the June 7 parliamentary elections.

"The Republic of Armenia's membership in the CSTO is frozen, and no steps will be taken to resume its activities," Pashinyan stated, emphasizing the finality of this decision.

He also stated that the long-standing practice of communicating with Azerbaijan and Turkey through third countries has hindered the achievement of peace.

"When you communicate with someone through a third party, you can never be sure that this third party is conveying your messages accurately to the recipient. The third party may have its own interests and views," Pashinyan noted.

He emphasized that Yerevan has reconsidered its approach and is emphasizing direct dialogue with Baku and Ankara.

As a reminder, Armenia froze its membership in the CSTO in February 2024. According to Yerevan, the reason for this was the failure of its allies, including Russia and Belarus, to fulfill their obligations. Particularly noted was the CSTO's lack of response to the events of autumn 2022, when Azerbaijani troops entered the Armenian city of Jermuk, as well as to Azerbaijan's military operation in autumn 2023, which led to the loss of control over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Previously, Nikol Pashinyan called the CSTO a direct threat to Armenia's security. The country's Foreign Ministry also stated that a final decision on membership would be made if partners, including Russia, failed to make political statements regarding Azerbaijan's actions on Armenian territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin, for his part, asserted that CSTO intervention in this conflict would be legally improper.