Armenia's possible withdrawal from the CSTO should be based on the real needs of the country, not on "flirting" with the West, and this decision is not related to the country's original national interests, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told RIA Novosti.

According to Zakharova, each country is free to choose with which associations it wants to develop relations, depending on specific reasons and factors.

"It has to be done on the basis of reality, on the real needs of the country and in no case to play into it, not to give in to the temptation of some, you know, another staging of Western scenarios. And, you know, somehow not to play into it, it's very dangerous because these are security issues," Zakharova said.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, she does not know why politicians in Yerevan "impose an opinion on the negative role of the CSTO on Armenian citizens."

"It seems to me that this does not refer to Armenia's true native and national interests. I think and I'm sure, I just have this kind of information. This is what is prepared somewhere around Brussels, this, you know, information chowder, which the Armenian citizens are now trying to feed abundantly by inventing some tall tales about the CSTO. There has never been anything bad from the CSTO," Zakharova said.

She noted that Yerevan will decide in the end anyway, but it should not be done on the basis of "non-existent facts".

Zakharova added that it will be up to Armenia to decide whether to stay in the CSTO or leave, but "there is no need to hide behind the CSTO in an attempt to avoid responsibility or in an attempt to find someone who is actually allegedly guilty".