Gevorg Papoyan, the Deputy of the ruling Party Chairman, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, said that Armenia may leave the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

On November 27, Gevorg Papoyan said that the reason for this is the CSTO's reluctance to openly support Armenia in the conflict with Azerbaijan.

Papoyan said: "There is a clear situation that will determine our definitive departure from the CSTO. This situation has not yet matured. But there is such a situation that we will definitely participate in the meetings of the CSTO. This situation does not exist yet."

Recently, PM Nikol Pashinyan and, after him, the Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Alen Simonyan also refused to participate in the CSTO meeting in Minsk last week. The leaders and officials of Belarus and Russia slammed Armenia's stance over non-participation in the meeting and distant relations within the organization.

CSTO Secretary General Reaffirms Armenia's Alliance Amid Absence at Summit

On November 27, commenting on the absence of Armenia's political leadership at the organization's summit in Minsk, CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov said that Armenia has been and will remain an ally within the Collective Security Treaty Organization. 

According to the administrative head of the regional system of collective security, it makes no sense to draw any categorical conclusions in connection with the decision of the Armenian authorities not to participate in the meetings of the Collective Security Council and other CSTO structures in the Belarusian capital.

"In my opinion, it makes no sense to draw any categorical conclusions from this situation. Armenia has been and remains our ally. This, I think, says it all," Tasmagambetov noted.