The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has clarified its stance regarding its area of responsibility in Armenia, stating that it considers it to be within the regulated national borders, according to information provided to RBC news agency. This response comes in light of Yerevan’s request seeking clarification on the organization’s jurisdiction within Armenia.

“The wording about the zone of responsibility is quite complicated, and it aims more to draw attention to the situation in the [Armenian] republic than to get an objective answer, as according to the 2010 agreement on the principles of cooperation, which was signed by the CSTO, the area of responsibility is considered the sovereign territory of the member states,” the statement read.

The statement provided by the CSTO refers to the agreement on the status of the formation of forces and means of the CSTO collective security system, signed in Moscow in 2010. According to the organization, the territory of responsibility of the CSTO concludes at the point where the national border, regulated through bilateral agreements between Armenia and its neighboring countries, is delineated.

In the context of the strained relations between Moscow and Yerevan, Grigory Karasin, the chair of the Russian Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs, mentioned that Russia pays close attention to all statements made by Armenia. 

Commenting on the Armenian FM Ararat Mirzoyan’s statement about Armenia’s partnership with the US and the European Union (EU), Karasin added: “I tend to think that in the context of the confrontation with Russia, Armenia is becoming an object of a geopolitical game by the USA and the West, in the broad sense of the word. This is very dangerous and can cause specific damage to the relations between Yerevan and Moscow and Armenia's influence and prospects in regional and world affairs. Not understanding this is a very dangerous delusion”. 

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