Envoy: Russia’s military presence in Armenia supports stability

Russia’s military presence in Armenia remains an important element of regional stability, Russian Ambassador to Yerevan Sergei Kopyrkin said in an interview with the newspaper Syunyats Yerkir.

According to him, the withdrawal of the 102nd military base is not on the agenda of bilateral relations.

“This has been clearly stated by the Armenian side at all levels. Russia’s military presence continues to be the most important structural pillar of Armenia’s security system and a key factor in regional stability. At the same time, our forces do not pose a threat to anyone in the region,” the diplomat said.

He recalled that the agreement on Russia’s military presence in the Republic of Armenia was initially signed in Moscow on March 16, 1995, for a period of 25 years, with automatic extensions every five years.

“Later, in 2010, our countries signed an additional protocol to the document in Yerevan, which extended the deployment of Russian Armed Forces units in Armenia until 2044, with the possibility of prolongation every five years,” he noted.

By Tamilla Hasanova