THREE DOCUMENTS SIGNED IN YEREVAN RESULTING FROM RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER VISIT

As a result of the official visit of defense minister of Russia Sergey Ivanov to Armenia, head of the defense departments of the two countries have signed the Plan of Cooperation between the defense ministries of Armenia and Russia for 2004. As S. Ivanov told journalists, the document provides for practical measures, specifically military personnel training. In his words, some 500 Armenian servicemen now study at Russian defense ministry higher education institutions, only 200 of them being freshmen. Two documents on making changes in the treaty referring to the Russian military base situated in Armenia were also signed. In the Russian minister’s words, these are called to make the presence of the Russian servicemen on the Armenian land “more comfortable”. Specifically, according to the document, beginning in 2004 all communal payments of the Russian military base will be covered by the Armenian party.