Comment on Armenia's Suspension of Participation in CSTO Given by State Duma

The suspension of Armenia's participation in the CSTO may be temporary and necessary to 'calm the nerves of certain political figures.' This was stated by Leonid Kalashnikov, the head of the State Duma's CIS Affairs Committee, in an interview with RIA Novosti.

Kalashnikov commented on the suspension of the contract, saying, 'I believe that by saying 'suspended,' it refers to a certain time that is necessary to calm the nerves of certain political figures and to work calmly on their security within the frameworks of this collective contract.'

He noted that Armenia has indeed 'frozen' its participation in the CSTO for several months, even though the agreement is beneficial for Yerevan, the parliamentarian added.

Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that Yerevan had suspended its participation in the CSTO.