Armenia should be expelled from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), since the country does not participate in the organization's work, but at the same time, all decisions must be coordinated with it, former CSTO Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha has told RIA Novosti.

The other CSTO members are Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. In 2024, Armenia announced the "freezing" of its participation in this organization—although this is not provided for by the organization's charter—and stopped paying membership fees.

“If they [i.e. Armenia] suspend their participation [in] but do not leave [the CSTO], they remain full members of the CSTO. And if they are full members, it means that all decisions—and decisions in the CSTO are made by consensus—must be made taking into account their [i.e. Armenia’s] position. However, that position today essentially contradicts everything that is being done in the CSTO,” Bordyuzha explained.

In his opinion, it would be sincere for Armenia to simply withdraw from the organization, but since that is not the case, the country should simply be expelled from the CSTO.

“I would expel them: they [i.e. Armenia] do not pay their [CSTO membership] dues, they do not participate in the [organization’s] work. If we approach the issue seriously, as serious partners, they should stand up and withdraw [from the CSTO]. However, since they have adopted a dual position: ‘We will not withdraw, but we will not work either [in the CSTO], we do not participate, and we do not want to,’ then they should be expelled,” Bordyuzha is convinced.

Earlier, CSTO Secretary General Taalatbek Masadykov had announced that the matter of expelling Armenia from the organization may be raised at the CSTO Collective Security Council meeting to be held in Moscow on November 11. In his assessment, Armenia is in violation of Articles 20 and 25 of the organization’s charter.