Armenian premier criticizes CSTO, seeks new security partners

YEREVAN, Armenia

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Wednesday that the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has not shown the necessary sensitivity to his country's security issues so they are “looking for other security partners.”

Speaking in parliament, Pashinyan elaborated on the decision not to participate in CSTO summits.

He said the CSTO did not fulfill its responsibilities regarding Armenia's security and “this situation has been repeated several times. Our society does not understand why we go to the CSTO each time, repeat the same things, and return without getting an answer. Then we go again, and we return again without receiving any response."

Pashinyan said Armenia did not reject negotiations but decided not to participate in CSTO activities for "specific reasons."

“We are searching (for other partners), and we are finding them. We are trying to sign contracts and acquire weapons and military equipment,” he said.

"This is our policy. Strategically, there will be no announcement regarding a change in our policy because we have not decided to withdraw from the CSTO.”

In a statement from the Armenian Prime Ministry on Tuesday, it was announced that Pashinyan would not be able to attend the CSTO summit scheduled to take place in Belarus on Nov. 23.

Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for Russia’s Kremlin, expressed "regret" over the decision.

*Writing by Alperen Aktas from Istanbul