Samvel Karapetyan says Russian base must remain in Armenia

Samvel Karapetyan, leader of Strong Armenia, said that Armenia could face a Turkish threat if the 102nd Russian military base is withdrawn from the country.

Operative Information Center-OMM reports that Karapetyan stressed the importance of keeping the Russian military base in Armenia in comments to journalists.

“We will be left to the mercy of fate. A Turkish base will take the place of the Russian base here. Therefore, the Russian base must remain,” Karapetyan said.

Following a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, the operation of the Russian military base in Gyumri was included on the agenda of upcoming talks between Moscow and Yerevan.

The 102nd Russian military base was deployed in Armenia under an interstate agreement signed by Moscow and Yerevan in 1995.

On Aug. 20, 2010, the parties extended the agreement on the base’s deployment until 2044.

The air component of the 102nd Russian military base in Gyumri is the Erebuni airbase, stationed in Yerevan.

Personnel at the airbase conduct air-defense combat duty as part of the unified air-defense system of the Commonwealth of Independent States.