Yerevan retains financial obligations in accordance with CSTO Charter

Taking into account the refusal of the Armenian leadership to pay the estimated contribution, it is necessary to adjust the CSTO budget for the current year, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) told RIA Novosti.

 

In an interview about the situation, the Russian MFA noted that "naturally, taking into account the refusal of the Armenian leadership to pay the estimated contribution, it is necessary to adjust the CSTO budget for the current year."

 

"Currently, the draft of the relevant decision of the Collective Security Council is being developed," the Russian MFA said as well.

 

They added that there is no question of "redistribution of fees."

 

"With certain parameters, the CSTO Secretariat and the CSTO Joint Headquarters have reduced their expenses, but primarily due to Yerevan's non-appointment of quota positions to its employees in the relevant structures," says the Russian MFA.

 

"The Secretariat will use the existing reserves somewhere. Therefore, the work will continue as normal," it added.

 

Russia proceeds from the fact that Armenia continues to have financial obligations according to the CSTO charter, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) told RIA Novosti.

 

Referring to the current situation, the Russian MFA noted that "in any case, we proceed from the fact that Yerevan is obligated to fulfill the financial requirements in accordance with the charter of the Organization and other documents approved by the leaders of the CSTO member states".

 

"By the way, this is a global practice of international organizations, where ‘financial discipline’ is maintained regardless of the wish of one of the parties to ‘suspend’ or even terminate membership," the Russian MFA concluded.

 

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), commenting on Armenia's not making its contribution to the CSTO budget, told RIA Novosti that Yerevan had payment debts to this budget in the past as well.

 

Armenian MFA press secretary Ani Badalyan had announced that Yerevan will refrain from joining the decision of the CSTO Collective Security Council of November 23, 2023 "On the CSTO 2024 Budget" and participating in the funding of the activities of this organization provided for therein.

 

Commenting on this situation, the Russian MFA noted that "this is not the first statement by Yerevan to ‘freeze’ its participation and stop CSTO funding."

 

"Regarding the essence of the matter, debts of the organization's budget payments, including from Armenia, have arisen in the past," says the Russian MFA.

 

They added that "at that time, the problems of funding the Organization's activities were solved by using existing reserves, and the ‘debtors’ later repaid their debts."

 

"The contribution of the shares of the Republic of Armenia in 2024 was set at the amount of 53.22 million rubles," the Russian MFA statement notes as well.