Armenian PM critical of Moscow-dominated security pact
The Hindu
Russia has sought to preserve strong ties with its ally Armenia while also maintaining friendly relations with energy-rich Azerbaijan
Armenia's Prime Minister on March 14 accused a Moscow-dominated security alliance of leaving his country in the cold in the face of a threat of renewed hostilities with neighbouring Azerbaijan.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has been repeatedly critical of what he described as the failure of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, or CSTO, to protect member Armenia amid a standoff with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Russia, which has sought to preserve strong ties with its ally Armenia while also maintaining friendly relations with energy-rich Azerbaijan, has engaged in a delicate diplomatic balancing act, avoiding any forceful action. The Kremlin’s clout in the region has become more limited as Russia has focused its resources on the war in Ukraine.
Mr. Pashinyan said at a news conference that it wasn't Armenia that is pulling out of the CSTO, but, on the contrary, “the CSTO is pulling out of Armenia, whether it wishes so or not.”
"We are concerned about that,” Mr. Pashinyan said.
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He emphasised that “the threat of escalation along Armenia’s border and in Nagorno-Karabakh is very high now”, noting “increasingly aggressive rhetoric from Azerbaijan”.