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Armenia’s decision on CSTO membership its sovereign choice — secretary general

Commenting on the possibility of a confrontation between Armenia and the CSTO amid Yerevan’s remarks on its aspiration to leave the organization and get closer with NATO, Imangali Tasmagambetov noted that such a scenario is "merely hypothetical"

MOSCOW, April 24. /TASS/. The choice of Armenia’s authorities to remain in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) or leave it will be the country’s sovereign decision, the organization’s Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov told Izvestia.

"It is important to note that member states, in their interaction with external players, pursue a multidirectional policy course which is their sovereign right. Accordingly, Yerevan’s choice to stay in the CSTO or leave the organization will also be the sovereign decision of this independent country," the secretary general said.

Commenting on the possibility of a confrontation between Armenia and the CSTO amid Yerevan’s remarks on its aspiration to leave the organization and get closer with NATO, Tasmagambetov noted that such a scenario is "merely hypothetical." That said, he pointed out that "it is necessary to take into account the resource base and the actual capabilities of sides, so this issue, even though currently it is not particularly pressing, needs to be analyzed."

Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan claimed that the CSTO was unreliable and made remarks about Armenia potentially suspending participation or leaving the CSTO as the country largely ignores the organization’s major events.

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