Armenia has no plans to withdraw Russian 102nd military base – Pashinyan

Armenia has no plans to withdraw the Russian military base, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during a meeting with foreign ambassadors, diplomats, and representatives of analytical centers at the Polish Institute of International Affairs, responding to a question from one of the participants about whether the Armenian authorities would ask Russia to close the base in Gyumri.

“As for the Russian military presence in our country, you know that some changes have taken place in recent years. Until 2024, most of Armenia’s border checkpoints were under Russian control, or there was a presence of Russian border guards, for example, at our international airport. However, currently, all of our border checkpoints are controlled by Armenian border guards. Naturally, we are grateful to Russia. As a newly independent state in the early 1990s, we did not have the capacity to provide such services, but now we do, and we are developing our capabilities. We have no plans or concerns regarding the presence of the Russian military base. We are close partners with Russia and maintain strong economic and political ties.

This is related to certain events that took place in 2022. Armenia was disappointed with the CSTO because, despite its legal obligations, it did not adequately respond to Armenia’s security challenges. On the other hand, we say that Armenia’s relations with Russia are undergoing a transformation. We are currently shaping a new relationship with Russia. Of course, we are determined and would like to develop our relations with Russia, but it is clear that these relations are changing due to multiple factors. It is also very important to emphasize that in November 2020, Russia and the role of the Russian President were decisive in establishing a ceasefire with Azerbaijan,” Pashinyan said.