Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said Yerevan was open to discussing the future of Russia’s 102nd Military Base in Gyumri, although no formal talks have taken place.
Speaking to journalists, Mirzoyan said he had heard complaints about the base and that political circles had questioned the appropriateness of maintaining it, including on financial grounds, Pastinfo reports.
“But as far as I remember, this discussion was initiated by the Russian president, who said: ‘If you wish, let’s discuss whether the military base should remain or not.’ Let’s discuss it if you wish; we are not opposed,” Mirzoyan said.
He emphasized that the Armenian side had not held discussions on the matter.
Russian President Vladimir Putin previously said Moscow was prepared to maintain its military presence in Gyumri if the Armenian people wanted it to continue. He added that Russian troops could “leave as early as tomorrow” if Yerevan no longer considered their presence necessary.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also said the Russian base had not been discussed during his meeting with Putin in Bishkek. He added that the presence of Russia’s 102nd Military Base in Armenia was not a vital necessity.
