In recent days, the issue of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) has once again been brought into circulation, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia addressed it, stating that Armenia does not wish to return to the CSTO.
Armenia froze its membership in the CSTO two years ago, in February 2024. Since then, Armenia has not participated in the organization’s activities or in the adoption of its decisions. Recently, discussions surrounding the CSTO have intensified. Former CSTO Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha has stated that Armenia should be expelled from the organization, taking into account the political course adopted by the country, leading to the response of Armenia’s foreign minister noted above.
At the same time, Armenia has not made a clear statement about definitively withdrawing from the organization. There are also legal issues that need to be resolved in order to understand the mechanism through which Armenia could be expelled from the CSTO.
Of course, the CSTO and the EAEU are two different organizations with different charters, objectives, and tasks. Although Armenia has frozen its membership in the CSTO, it continues its relations with the EAEU. Moreover, the Armenian authorities state that, under the current circumstances, the country does not consider withdrawal from the EAEU appropriate.
In sum, a situation seems to be emerging in which Armenia and Russia are unable to make a clear decision about who should initiate the expulsion process for both organizations. Neither want to assume the initiative so neither side is taking concrete steps, although both sides recognize that Armenia’s membership in the CSTO is currently ineffective for Armenia and for the organization itself.
The EAEU is a rather interesting structure. In certain respects, it resembles a club of Turkic and Slavic countries. In fact, Armenia is the only state among the organization’s members that is neither Slavic nor Turkic. In the case of the CSTO as well, most member states are Turkic or Slavic countries, joined by Tajikistan, which is not a Turkic state, and Armenia, which is also not a Turkic state.
