Moscow: Russian military base sole guarantor of Armenia's sovereignty

The Russian Foreign Ministry has asserted that the presence of the 102nd Russian military base in Armenia stands as the sole genuine safeguard of the republic's sovereignty, dismissing alternative security proposals as devoid of practicality.

The Russian Foreign Ministry conveyed this sentiment to the Russian media in response to a report titled “Deepening relations between the EU and Armenia: more Europe in Armenia; more Armenia in Europe”, Caliber.Az reports.

"The security proposals are completely contrary to common sense. The presence of the 102nd Russian military base and Russian border guards is the only real guarantee of the sovereignty of Armenia," the Russian ministry emphasized in the statement.

 It further denounced the notion that the withdrawal of Russian forces would bolster Armenia's military capabilities, labelling such assertions as "dangerous demagoguery."

Highlighting the lack of concrete alternatives from Western counterparts, the Russian Foreign Ministry cautioned against any attempts to undermine the existing security arrangement in Armenia. "Forcing us to reconsider the existing security system today, the West is not offering anything concrete in return," the statement added.

The report in question was spearheaded under the guidance of former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, signalling a convergence of viewpoints on security dynamics in the region.