The Armenian defense leadership will skip the next CSTO gathering of defense ministers. A spokesperson for the Armenian Ministry of Defense, Aram Torosyan, shared the information in an interview with Radio Liberty, a news outlet that is monitored by authorities in Armenia. The disclosure underscores a pause in Armenia’s participation from formal talks with its CSTO partners at this stage.
Torosyan indicated that Suren Papikyan, the minister in charge of Armenia’s defense department, will not be present for the Council of Defense Ministers meeting planned in Minsk on November 22. The move signals a deliberate step by Yerevan ahead of the CSTO discussions and highlights concerns about the alliance’s current agenda and priorities for Armenia.
Earlier remarks from Imangali Tasmagambetov, who previously served as Secretary General of the CSTO, suggested Armenia preferred to remove a proposed aid document from the summit’s agenda. The statement points to divergent views within the organization about external assistance and the scope of support for member states facing regional pressures.
In addition to the defense ministers meeting, Minsk is slated to host separate gatherings on November 22 that bring together the committees with responsibilities across defense, foreign affairs, and security council matters for the CSTO member states. The planned CSTO summit is scheduled for November 23, presenting an opportunity for leaders to reassess collective security commitments and regional stability priorities.
On November 15, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke publicly about the country’s direction within the alliance. He stated that there would be no announcement of policy shifts and that Armenia had not decided to exit the CSTO. The prime minister emphasized a careful approach to alliance relationships while continuing to pursue Armenia’s broader strategic objectives.
A few days earlier, during a press conference on November 14, Pashinyan warned the Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko, that Armenia would not participate in the CSTO summit under certain conditions. Nevertheless, he expressed hope that CSTO partners would understand Armenia’s position and the rationale behind it, signaling ongoing diplomacy aimed at balancing membership commitments with national interests.
Meanwhile, discussions in the United States have touched on reforms within global governance structures, including proposals related to the United Nations Security Council. These conversations reflect a broader international context in which regional alliances like the CSTO operate and how member states navigate security obligations, shared interests, and reform proposals on the world stage. In this environment, Armenia’s stance within the CSTO is one piece of a larger puzzle about regional security, international relations, and strategic alignment for countries in the Caucasus and broader Eurasia. Markers of this evolving landscape include the shifts in leadership voices, the evolving agenda of the CSTO, and the responses of partner nations as they pursue stability, partnership, and a clear framework for collective action.