Armenia Never Announced Leaving CSTO, Claims CSTO is Leaving the Region: Parliament Speaker

The President of the National Assembly of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, delivered a speech on December 5 at the joint session of the parliamentary assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the 15th plenary session. In his speech, he noted that in recent years, geopolitical realities have been emerging that will mark a transformation in the international relations system, and in this context, regional security organizations must become more active.

“Efforts have been made to enhance external political coordination and mutual support aimed at developing a coordinated approach to international and regional issues concerning the interests of CSTO member states,” Simonyan stated.

Addressing the parliamentary cooperation of the organization, he emphasized the need to coordinate legislative work through the adoption of model acts and the development of proposals on a wide range of issues. Simonyan highlighted that since the last session, the military-political situation in the South Caucasus has deteriorated, with events occurring that disrupt stability and regional security.

He elaborated on the military operations conducted by Azerbaijani forces that infiltrated Armenian territory in September, reminding that in a new phase of aggression, Azerbaijan has occupied certain parts of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. Simonyan stressed that the militaristic rhetoric from official Baku indicates further expansionist ambitions from Azerbaijan.

“In this complex situation, it was extremely important for Armenia to receive military and political support from our partners in the CSTO, and the Armenian side has outlined its expectations, which are: 1. A clear political assessment from the organization regarding the September escalation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, 2. The adoption of a roadmap for the restoration of Armenia's territorial integrity after Azerbaijan’s aggression,” said the National Assembly President.

He emphasized that today armed forces from a third country are present in the CSTO responsibility zone, and he does not know how this can be explained or how partners view the continuation of this situation, where almost daily Azerbaijan violates the ceasefire regime, resulting in the death of Armenians.

The head of the Armenian Parliament assured that Armenia has never announced its intention to leave the CSTO, but rather it has been stated that the CSTO is leaving the region, which is a concern for our country.

In his extensive speech, he also touched on the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. “Today, our task is to protect the population of Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan has begun to assert that the Nagorno-Karabakh issue no longer exists, nor does the indigenous Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh. Recently, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry even asked Russian peacekeepers not to use the name Nagorno-Karabakh or Armenian geographical names. Moreover, we see the Azerbaijani side's intention to close the Lachin corridor. The Lachin corridor is the only fully humanitarian route for the sustenance of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh,” Alen Simonyan stressed.

In conclusion, the National Assembly President stated that Armenia’s efforts and actions practically confirm its commitment to the peaceful resolution of all issues related to the conflict, including ensuring the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.