Armenia Remains ‘Ally,’ Head of Moscow-Led Military Alliance Asserts

Armenia is still a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a six-nation military alliance led by Moscow, CSTO Secretary-General Imangali Tasmagambetov has said. “Armenia was—and still is—our ally,” Mr. Tasmagambetov was quoted as saying by Russia’s TASS news agency on Nov. 27. The CSTO was established in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Along with Russia and Armenia, other members include Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Mr. Tasmagambetov’s assertion comes four days after Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, declined to take part in a major CSTO summit hosted by Belarus in Minsk. Leaders of the five other CSTO member states, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, attended the Nov. 23 event....