MOSCOW

Russia urged Armenia to stop publicly criticizing the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and start talks to eliminate existing controversies, Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Pankin said Thursday.

Pankin told Russian news agency, RIA, that all CSTO members are interested in improving the group and increasing its efficiency and in this regard, Armenia's return to "full-fledged work" would contribute to achieving those goals.

"Unfortunately, our Armenian allies have really distanced themselves from it so far. We urge our colleagues in Yerevan, instead of public emotional attacks and criticism of the Organization, to start discussing urgent issues at the political and expert levels," he said.

Pankin emphasized that the continuation of a mutually respectful, constructive dialogue within the CSTO meets the fundamental interests of Armenia for security and serves to maintain peace and stability in the Eurasian space, including the South Caucasus region.

Armenia criticized the Russia-led military bloc for not preventing Azerbaijan from liberating its internationally recognized territories that were under Armenian occupation for more than 30 years.

Azerbaijan liberated most of the region during a 44-day war in the fall of 2020. Last September, the Azerbaijani army initiated an anti-terrorism operation in Karabakh and liberated the rest of its territories, ending 30 years of Armenian occupation.