Pashinyan: Armenia will take into account possible expulsion from the CSTO
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan responded to a question about whether Russian President Vladimir Putin had congratulated his party on its victory in the parliamentary elections.
"Putin hasn't congratulated us yet. We hope he will," the Armenian leader said ironically at a briefing in Yerevan.
He also commented on Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's statement that the CSTO would consider Armenia's possible expulsion from the organization due to non-payment of dues for a second year.
"If the CSTO member states decide to expel Armenia, we will take this decision into account," Pashinyan emphasized.
He also stated that society has expressed a desire to introduce a residency requirement for citizens wishing to participate in the elections. Armenian authorities previously claimed that Russian citizens were arriving in Armenia to vote for opposition parties in parliamentary elections.
"There is a public demand for a residency requirement for participation in the vote, and we are obliged to respond to this public demand," the Armenian Prime Minister stated during a briefing.
According to him, only his political force received genuine voter support, while other parties entered parliament through vote-buying.
Previously, the Central Election Commission and the Russian Foreign Ministry reported numerous violations during the parliamentary elections in Armenia, persecution of the opposition, and external influence. These statements followed the victory of Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract party, which received almost 50% of the vote.
