Armenia to skip CSTO exercise in Kyrgyzstan
YEREVAN, August 6. /ARKA/. Armenia announced it will not participate in the CSTO "Interaction-2024" exercises in Kyrgyzstan, the military bloc’s website reported on Tuesday.
These exercises will be held between September 3 and 15.
The exercise will features ministries of internal affairs of Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan; the National Guard of Kazakhstan and the Russian National Guard; representatives of special services from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan; and emergency ministries from Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. Operational groups from the CSTO Secretariat and the Joint Staff will also be present.
In February 2024, Armenia announced the suspension of its CSTO membership and later refused to pay membership dues to the organization. On June 12, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that Armenia might consider withdrawing from the organization. However, shortly afterward, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan clarified that the Prime Minister meant that the Armenian authorities would decide on the timing of their exit from the organization themselves.
