CSTO will remain an effective structure even without Armenia - Russian MFA

Withdrawing from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is Armenia's sovereign right, Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said this at a briefing held today, APA's Moscow correspondent reports.

According to her, if Armenia decides to withdraw from the CSTO, it must send an official notification six months before the date of withdrawal, as stipulated in the organization's charter.

"The question of whether Armenia will stay or leave the CSTO should be addressed to the official Yerevan. As before, we do not want to question the sovereign right of our Armenian partners to independently determine their foreign policy, as well as their future participation in the CSTO. I remind you of Article 19 of the organization's charter, which mentions the possibility of leaving the organization. In this case, the state must send an official notification no later than 6 months after the date of its withdrawal from the organization after settling its obligations under the CSTO. As far as we know, no new steps have been taken by our partners regarding the membership of the organization despite the regularly circulated accusations against the CSTO. Armenia continues to remain a full member of the organization and must assume the relevant obligations, including the 1992 Collective Security Treaty and the 2002 Charter of the organization, as well as the obligations stipulated by other documents. We are sure that in any case the CSTO is and will remain an effective structure responsible for the protection of peace and security in Eurasia, as well as the security of its member states," the Russian MFA spokesman emphasized.