Pashinyan: the issue of the withdrawal of Russian troops from Armenia is not discussed

Armenia is not discussing the withdrawal of the Russian military base from the country, Prime Minister of the Republic Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Full text of the interview published on the Prime Minister’s website.

“We do not discuss such an issue. We are now discussing other issues more, trying to understand what is the reason for this situation, and, of course, I also think that this will be the agenda of working discussions between Armenia and Russia, Armenia and the CSTO,” Pashinyan explained when asked by a journalist whether he plans he demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops.

Answering the question whether the presence of the Russian military in Armenia is an advantage or an obstacle, Pashinyan noted that at the moment “we have not seen any advantages” within the framework of the conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.

WSJ previously published a text in which it said that Pashinyan did not saw the advantages of having Russian military bases on the territory of his country. However, the newspaper did not mention the Armenian prime minister’s comment that there were no discussions about the withdrawal of the military.

In the interview, Pashinyan also pointed out the need to diversify Yerevan’s security relations and search for new partners. He explained that he meant, among other things, “a balanced policy in the context of foreign policy.”

In 1992, under an agreement between Russia and Armenia, the 102nd military base was created on the basis of the 127th motorized rifle division of the Transcaucasian Military District of the Soviet Army. The base’s military personnel are located in the city of Gyumri and Yerevan. In August 2010, the agreement on this base was extended until 2044. A peacekeeping contingent is stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh, which, according to the agreement, will remain in the region until November 2025.

On September 19-20, Azerbaijan carried out “anti-terrorist measures” in Nagorno-Karabakh. On September 28, the president of the unrecognized republic, Samvel Shahramanyan, signed a decree on the termination of its existence from January 1, 2024 and the dissolution of all government institutions and organizations.