Cholpon-Ata - Saba:
The CSTO Foreign Ministers' Meeting began on Monday in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, without the participation of the Armenian Foreign Minister, but with the attendance of the CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov.
According to the Russian RT channel, the parties will discuss the international and regional situation and its impact on the security of the CSTO member states. They will also adopt statements on issues related to information security and combating extremism and terrorism, particularly in light of the tense situation in the Middle East. The foreign ministers will also discuss the establishment of a UN regional center for sustainable development goals in Central Asia and Afghanistan.
In addition, the meeting participants will discuss ways to enhance cooperation between the CSTO, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Armenian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Ani Badalyan reported that Minister Ararat Mirzoyan would not participate in the meeting. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that Armenia had suspended its participation in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), claiming it posed a threat to the republic's sovereignty.
Pashinyan also stated in December 2024 that relations between Armenia and the CSTO had passed the point of no return. Foreign Minister Mirzoyan said at an international security forum in Warsaw that his country was assessing the risks of a possible withdrawal from the CSTO.
For her part, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova indicated that this step would not enhance Armenia's security, and that Yerevan's return to full operation in the organization would take time.
The CSTO is a Eurasian military alliance founded in 1992 that includes post-Soviet states: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Armenia (which has suspended its membership).
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