Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan skipped a Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) meeting Friday in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, in another signal of his nation's shift from regional alliances to cooperation with the West.
Previously, representatives of the Caucasian nation had also stopped attending meetings of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), criticizing it for failing to defend Armenia-backed separatist forces during a 44-day war with Azerbaijan in 2020.
On Wednesday, Pashinyan accused two CSTO member states of directly aiding Azerbaijan, though he did not name them.
Following the defeat in the Karabakh War in 2020, Armenia has increasingly turned to the West for military assistance, distancing itself from regional structures. But Armenia continues to participate in post-Soviet economic formats with reduced involvement.
Earlier Friday, Russia recalled its ambassador to Armenia for consultations after months of public disputes and harsh anti-Russian statements by Armenian top officials.
