Yerevan Sees No Way Back to CSTO, Accepts Possible Voting Rights Suspension

August 11, 2026 at 05:00 AM2 min

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Armenia sees no way back to the Collective Security Treaty Organization and will accept a possible decision to strip its voting rights, Sargis Khandanyan, the chair of the Armenian parliament’s foreign relations committee, said on Tuesday. The CSTO summit on November 11 in Moscow may consider restricting Armenia’s powers, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said.

Armenia’s Position

Khandanyan said Armenia’s stance has not changed since it froze participation in February 2024, and it does not see any path back to active involvement in the CSTO. He stated that Yerevan would take note of any decision to suspend its voting rights, and did not foresee circumstances that would prompt a reactivation of its membership. If CSTO members decide to exclude Armenia, Yerevan will assess the move and factor it into future bilateral ties with the bloc’s members.

CSTO’s Possible Sanctions

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin indicated that the November 11 CSTO summit in Moscow may discuss limiting Armenia’s participation, including a potential suspension of its voting rights. In June, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov cited Armenia’s arrears on membership fees and said the organization could apply Article 8 of its charter, which governs measures against members that fail to meet obligations. The CSTO includes Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

Origins of the Freeze

Armenia announced it was freezing its CSTO participation in February 2024, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan arguing that allies had not fulfilled their collective security obligations toward Armenia during the 2021–2022 border conflicts with Azerbaijan. Since then, Yerevan has refused to attend CSTO military exercises and high-level meetings, though it has not formally withdrawn from the security bloc.