CSTO Secretary-General Imangali Tasmagambetov meets with Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Yerevan on Dec. 21

The Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Imangali Tasmagambetov, arrived in Armenia on Thursday amid growing tensions between Armenia—a member state—and the Russia-led security bloc.

Tasmagambetov met with Foreign Minister Arart Mirzoyan and briefed Armenia’s top diplomat about the latest decisions taken at the CSTO’s recent summit held last month in Minsk. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Mirzoyan, Defense Minister Suren Papikyan and Armenia’s National Security chief Armen Grigoryan did not attend the summit, adding to the rift.

Pashinyan and his government blame the CSTO for not responding to Yerevan’s appeal after Azerbaijan breached Armenia’s sovereign territory in May 2021 and later in September of last year. Armenian authorities have said that the CSTO failed to properly condemn Baku during its annual summit held last year in Yerevan and reneged on the bloc’s mandate to assist member-states during military conflict.

The CSTO contends that it is ready to send a mission to the Armenia border.

According to the source, during the meeting, Mirzoyan and Tasmagambetov exchanged views on the situation in the region, as well as projects aimed at the development of transport and economic interconnectivity, including the “Crossroads of Peace” concept being advanced by the Armenian government.