Rhetoric of Armenian authorities towards CSTO is worrying: Zakharova

The Russian Foreign Ministry considers the Armenian leadership's statements regarding the CSTO as ultimatum and offensive rhetoric, while Moscow does not question the sovereign right of each country to choose the alliances, official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said during a briefing.

Earlier, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that Armenia will withdraw from the CSTO if the organization does not answer the questions raised by Yerevan regarding the country's sovereign territory.

“We have never questioned, do not and will not question the sovereign right of any state to determine its foreign policy course, including the degree of participation in the work of this or that international or regional structures, based on its national interests and commitments. It also fully applies to the CSTO,” said Zakharova.

“At the same time, we cannot help but be worried about the ineffective, ultimatum, and sometimes offensive rhetoric, which today dominates the expressions of the Armenian leadership regarding the organization and is imposed on the Armenian society,” he added.

Zakharova noted that in Moscow, they are puzzled by the Armenian leadership's desire to discuss CSTO effectiveness issues “outside of that organization, when there are all the mechanisms, formats and ways of interaction for this.” Meanwhile, according to Zakharova, Yerevan literally avoids subject-specific expert dialogue on the CSTO platform. “And that is when the organization is open and ready for such work,” said the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“Continuation of the current course of the Armenian leadership can cause irreparable damage to the alliance relations between Moscow and Yerevan and create risks for the sovereignty of Armenia,” said the diplomat.