The CSTO Secretariat commented on the issue of conducting joint military exercises with the CSTO peacekeeping forces in the territory of the Republic of Armenia in 2023.
“Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced during a press conference held in Yerevan on January 10, 2023, that “In the current situation, we do not consider it appropriate to conduct CSTO military exercises in the territory of the Republic of Armenia, at least this year,” reports the CSTO Secretariat and adds:
“Approved by the Council of Defense Ministers and the Committee of Secretaries of the Security Councils in 2023, the joint program for the establishment of command and control bodies and forces and means of the CSTO collective security system envisages conducting Inviolable Brotherhood-2023 military exercises with the CSTO peacekeeping forces in the territory of the Republic of Armenia.
The need to hold these military exercises on Armenian soil this year was confirmed earlier in Yerevan as well. Currently, the CSTO Secretariat has not received official notifications from the Armenian side about the cancellation of these military exercises, in accordance with the procedure established in the organization.
We understand the current situation in the Republic of Armenia, which may prevent the full implementation of the CSTO's planned peacekeeping exercises this year.
The CSTO Secretariat and the Joint Headquarters are making maximum efforts so that the combat training programs of the troops (collective forces) approved by the organization's statutory bodies are carried out in full, with the aim of increasing their readiness for the benefit of ensuring the security of the CSTO member states.”
