Russian MFA Sees No Threat of Armenia, Azerbaijan Leaving CIS

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin, in a conversation with RIA Novosti, addressed the discussions regarding the CIS membership of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

According to him, there is no threat to the participation of these states, as the CIS is a voluntary union.

"From whom is this threat? From whom and against whom? Membership in the CIS is completely voluntary. The word 'threat' is incomprehensible in this context. We hope that the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan will contribute to the continuation of cooperation within the CIS framework," said Pankin.

He added that the two countries quite often join joint statements and documents adopted at various levels.