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Pashinyan's words about CSTO posing threat to Armenia cause concerns — expert

"His ill-considered and reckless policy of reorienting Armenia strategically away from Russia and toward the West has been one of the main issues on which I have focused my critical attention," Arman Grigoryan stressed

WASHINGTON, September 19. /TASS/. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statements about threats that the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) allegedly poses to the republic arouse concerns and are part and parcel of his ill-considered and reckless policy, an expert told TASS.

Professor of International Relations of Lehigh University (Pennsylvania) Arman Grigoryan commented on recent statements made by the Armenian politician. "I have been a consistent critic of Pashinyan’s foreign and national security policy since he came to power in 2018, and especially after the war of 2020," he said. "His ill-considered and reckless policy of reorienting Armenia strategically away from Russia and toward the West has been one of the main issues on which I have focused my critical attention. Therefore, it probably will not surprise anybody who is familiar with my stance and my past commentary on this issue that I find his statement extremely concerning," Grigoryan emphasized.

Earlier, Pashinyan said Armenia had suspended its participation in the post-Soviet security bloc citing a threat to the republic’s sovereignty. The CSTO threatens Armenia’s security, its future existence and sovereignty, he argued.

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow disagrees with Pashinyan in his assessment of the CSTO. According to Peskov, the CSTO cannot and does not pose any threat to Armenia’s sovereignty. Rather, this organization serves to safeguard the sovereignty of its member countries. The Russian presidential spokesman assured that Russia "will make this position clear to the Armenian leadership with patience."

At the same time, he specified that Moscow has maintained communication with Yerevan and will continue to do so and called Armenia Russia’s close partner.

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