Tasmagambetov Indicates What Could Happen if Armenia Exits the CSTO

Despite Armenia's decision to suspend its participation in CSTO events, the organization fully maintains its commitments towards Yerevan. This was stated by CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov in an interview with "Izvestia."

“Armenia has indeed limited its participation in the work of the CSTO, however, the main mechanisms of cooperation are functioning, and the organization’s agenda continues to move forward. All commitments of the CSTO towards Armenia remain fully compliant with the organization’s statutory goals and principles,” he noted.

Tasmagambetov emphasized that if Armenia's leadership decides to withdraw from the organization, it would be Armenia's sovereign right. Commenting on the potential confrontation between Armenia and the CSTO against the backdrop of the country's leadership's statements regarding withdrawal and a desire to move closer to NATO, the CSTO Secretary General described such a scenario as “no more than hypothetical.”

At the same time, he pointed out that “it is necessary to consider the resource base and actual capabilities of the parties, so this issue, even if it cannot be classified as extremely urgent at the moment, requires analysis.”

“The analysts of the Secretariat note that the balance of power in the South Caucasus could change if Armenia exits the CSTO, however, in this case, the regional security factors would come into play, the influence of which is currently quite difficult to predict and calculate,” the Secretary General clarified.