The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has suspended Armenia’s voting rights and barred its representatives from holding key positions within the alliance due to unpaid financial obligations.

The organization’s Collective Security Council adopted a decision invoking Article 25 of the CSTO Charter in relation to the Republic of Armenia, The Caspian Post reports, citing TASS.

Under Article 25, a member state may lose its right to nominate citizens for quota-based positions within the organization and its voting rights if it fails to meet its financial obligations to the CSTO budget for two consecutive years.

According to the charter, Armenia can regain these rights by fully repaying its outstanding debt.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has repeatedly expressed his intention to freeze the country’s membership in the organization. However, despite halting its financial contributions to the CSTO budget, Armenia has taken no concrete steps either to formally withdraw from the alliance or to resume its participation.