Great Britain to support Armenia in face of Russian threats of  retaliation - James Heappey

ArmInfo.The UK recognizes Armenia's decision to potentially withdraw from the CSTO as a sovereign right and will work with Euro-Atlantic allies to support Armenia in the face of Russian threats of retaliation, British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey stated in response to a question by from British MPs as to how he assesses the potential benefits for the UK defense industry from Armenia's withdrawal from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).


At the same time, the official noted that the suspension of Armenia's membership in the CSTO does not yet mean an official exit from the organization.


The UK is a signatory to the OSCE arms embargo and therefore any benefits to the UK defense industry must be within those limits. We will continue to work closely with Armenia to explore opportunities for closer cooperation, Heappey said. 


Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in an interview with France24 TV channel in February of this year, said that the collective security agreement regarding Armenia was not implemented, and the republic froze its participation in the CSTO.