Armenia Doesn’t Need a Russian Base but If Moscow Wants to Keep It, Yerevan is Prepared to Discuss the Conditions for That, Pashinyan Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Sept. 17 – Having earlier declared that Yerevan doesn’t need a Russian miliary base but has never asked Moscow to remove it (jamestown.org/future-of-russias-military-base-in-armenia-fraught/), Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan reiterated Armenia doesn’t need the base and has not raised the issue but Moscow has an Yereavan now is defining its position.

            After meeting with his council of ministers, theArmenian leader says that if Moscow wants to close the base, Yerevan won’t object; but “if they want to remain, “we are ready to discuss the conditions of the retention of bases in the Republic of Armenia which we don’t need” (news.am/hy/video/1062204 and echofm.online/news/nikol-pashinyan-zayavil-chto-armenii-ne-nuzhna-rossijskaya-voennaya-baza).

            Pashinyan’s words suggest that Yerevan will seek fundamental revisions in the current basing agreement under which the 4,000-man Russian base at Gyumri has operated, possibly restricting its size and armament and reducing Armenia’s responsibility for providing the base with electricity, water and other services.

            What is certain is that the Armenian prime minister doesn’t want to call for the closing of the base, a step that worries many Armenians, but rather wants Moscow to take steps in that direction that Yerevan can then react to in ways that will lead to the contraction or even closer of the Russian base.