Epress.am News from Armenia
The Russian Federation Council, the upper chamber of the parliament, ratified a protocol Wednesday to extend Russia’s use of a military base in Armenia, reports RIA Novosti.
In 2010, Russia and Armenia signed amendments to a 1995 bilateral treaty extending Russia’s use of the 102nd Military Base in Gyumri near Armenia’s border with Turkey through 2044.
The protocol stipulates that the term will be automatically extended every five years unless one of the parties notifies the other about the annulment of the treaty six months in advance.
Head of the Military Cooperation with the CIS Defense, Colonel Andrei Gusev informed senators in parliament today that the base will move to a brigade system, which, he said, does not violate combat readiness. The base now comprises 4,245 people, 370 of which are military personnel and 500 are civilian experts.
Asked by senators where surplus weapons and equipment will be redeployed, a Ministry of Defense representative said they will be sent to Armenia’s Armed Forces at no cost.
The base is under the command of Russia’s North Caucasus Military District and is part of the CIS integrated air defense system.
There are around 5,000 personnel at the base, as well as S-300 surface-to-air missile systems and MiG-29 fighters.
Russia has repeatedly said that the presence of its base in the Central Asian republic does not violate any international agreements or upset the balance of forces in the region.