Putin says Russian base can leave Armenia tomorrow (PAN.am)

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia would withdraw its military base from Armenia immediately if Yerevan decided its presence was no longer needed.

“If Armenia believes that Armenia does not need the Russian military base, we will leave tomorrow. But is Armenia ready for that? Please, we are not going to impose anything on anyone. And if the Armenian people want some Russian military presence there, we will stay, work and cooperate,” Putin said, according to RIA Novosti.

Putin also said he had invited Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to Moscow to discuss Armenia’s future in the context of the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union.

“I invited him to Moscow to discuss all the issues without haste, one-on-one and with his experts and our experts, so that every point can be discussed. There are also specific issues there, for example, the railway issue,” he said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Bishkek. Putin said Armenia’s aspiration to join the EU is a natural and legitimate right of the country and its people, that Armenia is a sovereign state and that the Armenian people will determine the direction of their development. However, he said this creates difficulties regarding Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union and threatens to eliminate the country’s advantages in the Eurasian Economic Union market and disrupt established trade chains.