A decision on expelling Armenia from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is the prerogative of the supreme commanders of the member states, but all circumstances would have to be taken into account, CSTO Secretary General Taalatbek Masadykov said in an interview with TASS, the latter reports.

"The CSTO’s decision on whether or not to expel Armenia is a decision for the CSTO Collective Security Council, whose members are the supreme commanders of our member states. The decision is theirs. But I believe that all circumstances and factors should always be taken into account when making decisions," he noted.

Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in parliament that he favored Armenia’s expulsion from the CSTO and would be pleased if that happened. Presenting the government’s program for 2026-2031 in parliament, the Armenian prime minister said that the country did not intend to step up its participation in the CSTO over the next five years.

As Masadykov noted, if the Armenian leadership, “in this case, Prime Minister [Nikol] Pashinyan, made this statement, then, probably, there are different agendas. Politicians are politicians for a reason: to raise this issue, to escalate the discussion, and then to stop it," the CSTO Secretary General noted.