Armenia Requests Removal of Assistance Document from CSTO Agenda

Armenia has formally requested the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to remove a country assistance document from the agenda, as disclosed by CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov during his meeting with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko on November 20, according to reports from BelTA.

Expressing gratitude to President Lukashenko for the opportunity to discuss the current work and forthcoming activities of the CSTO, Secretary General Tasmagambetov outlined the organization's agenda leading up to significant events. Notably, Minsk is set to host crucial meetings, including the CSTO Defense Ministers Council, the CSTO Foreign Ministers Council, and the CSTO Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils on November 22. The main event, the CSTO Collective Security Council session, is scheduled for November 23.

In his address, Tasmagambetov provided an update on the status of the action plan related to the decisions adopted by the Collective Security Council during the previous November session. He highlighted that 32 out of 34 measures have been successfully implemented. However, two measures remain unfulfilled, primarily involving international contacts with European organizations like the OSCE due to their stance. The second unresolved matter pertains to an assistance document for Armenia, despite the support from all other member states.

The CSTO secretary general recounted that although the document on joint assistance measures for Armenia had garnered support from the majority of member states, Armenia did not express any interest in the document during the final phase of discussions. Ultimately, Armenia requested the removal of the document from the agenda, despite initial support from other member nations.

The origins of this request trace back to the CSTO summit held in Yerevan in November 2022 when Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan refrained from signing the draft decision of the Collective Security Council. His refusal was due to the document's omission of an assessment regarding attacks by Azerbaijan, a significant concern for Armenia.

The move by Armenia to request the removal of the assistance document from the CSTO agenda shows unresolved differences concerning assessments and actions related to conflicts and attacks involving Armenia by Azerbaijan, highlighting ongoing tensions within the region.