CSTO Considers Penalties Over Armenia's Unpaid Dues
CSTO members consider measures against Armenia over unpaid contributions, Lavrov says
Member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization agreed to consider invoking charter provisions in response to Armenia's failure to pay membership contributions for over two years, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said following a CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting.
Lavrov cited remarks by Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on election day stating Armenia was not paying contributions because it did not participate in the organization. Under Article 25 of the CSTO Charter, if a member state fails to settle its debt for two years, the organization's Council may suspend that state's right to nominate citizens for quota positions and may revoke voting rights in CSTO bodies until the debt is repaid.
Armenia has effectively frozen its participation in CSTO activities in recent years, citing concerns over the organization's response to regional security challenges.