Armenian prime minister to skip upcoming CSTO summit in Astana

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will not attend the summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Astana, according to the RIA Novosti news agency, which cited Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov.

The leaders of Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are scheduled to meet in Astana on Nov. 28 to participate in the session of the CSTO Collective Security Council.

On Nov. 25, the international news agency Novosti-Armenia reported that Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan would also not attend the joint session of the Foreign Ministers’ Committee, which is set to take place on the sidelines of the summit.

In June, Pashinyan announced Armenia’s plans to withdraw from the CSTO, although the timeline for the withdrawal has not been specified.

In March 2024, Pashinyan stated that the CSTO poses threats to Armenia’s security, existence and sovereignty.