On the one hand, Armenia continued to take some steps, take actions, sign agreements related to the CSTO, on the other hand, yesterday at PM Pashinyan's press conference, an opinion was voiced that the CSTO is leaving Armenia. Opposition MP Gegham Nazaryan stated this at Wednesday’s meeting of the Standing Committee on Defense and Security of the National Assembly of Armenia.
Then, he asked Defense Minister Suren Papikyan this question. "Does the Minister of Defense share this point of view. If not, why are we signing so many agreements? What is the CSTO’s alternative for Armenia today?"
In response, Papikyan said: "I don't want to get into the discussion about what is the CSTO alternative because if you refer to the Prime Minister's press conference, he said that Armenia is not leaving anywhere, if there are those leaving, they are leaving Armenia. But we are concerned about that, too. The Ministry of Defense and the Minister of Defense [of Armenia] are also carrying out the activities that we should be guided by according to our international obligations. That is, if we have a current work today, we are obligated to do it, and we do it properly. If documents have been signed, work has been carried out, naturally, within the framework of execution, the Minister of Defense is obligated to report, which I am doing."