Armenia's CSTO membership could be decided at November 11 security council session

Heads of state of CSTO member countries may decide Armenia's membership of the organisation at a session of the Collective Security Council on November 11. CSTO Secretary General Taalatbek Masadykov said so in a comment to TASS. He added that if the issue is placed on the council's agenda, a relevant decision could be adopted.

Masadykov cited Article 25 of the CSTO Charter, under which a member has no voting right if membership fees are unpaid and quota duties are not fulfilled. He also said Armenia's representative attends the weekly meetings of the Permanent Council.

Relations between Armenia and the CSTO remain strained. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said, while presenting the government's five-year programme, that Armenia has no plans to return to the CSTO and would be pleased if the organisation decided to remove Armenia. Armenia announced in February 2024 that it had 'frozen' its participation. In June 2026, Sergey Lavrov said he would examine applying a charter article on states failing to meet their obligations, including over Armenia's membership dues debt.