Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said today that the issue of whether Armenia should remain a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) should be resolved quickly – military alliance of six former Soviet republics, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
Armenia is in arrears with its membership fees, Lavrov said at a press conference after a meeting of CSTO foreign ministers.
Armenia formally continues to be a full member of the CSTO, although its representative will not attend the meeting of foreign ministers of the organization's countries in Kazan today, TASS noted.
Armenia must quickly choose between the European Union and the CSTO, the issue is already on the agenda, Lavrov said.
The Russian Foreign Minister stressed that although a member of the CSTO, Yerevan has not sent its representatives to the union's meetings for two years, while at the same time actively strengthening its cooperation with NATO countries, "military exercises are being held, military-purpose products are being purchased, (there is) an exchange of delegations on military issues with both NATO and the European Union, which is also currently becoming a militarized structure".
The CSTO countries have agreed to consider the application of the relevant article of the organization's charter to Armenia due to the republic's failure to pay its contributions for two years, TASS notes.