If Not Needed, We Will Leave Tomorrow: Putin on Gyumri Base

The future of the Russian military base located in Gyumri should be determined by the Armenian side. If Armenia concludes that it no longer needs this military infrastructure, Russia is prepared to leave even tomorrow. This was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a press conference in Bishkek.

“We are not going to impose anything on anyone. If the Armenian people wish to have a Russian military presence there, we will stay, work, and cooperate,” said Putin.

The Russian 102nd military base is located in Gyumri and Yerevan. It operates under a treaty regarding the legal status of the Russian armed forces on Armenian territory. Initially, Moscow and Yerevan signed the corresponding agreement for a duration of 25 years, which was extended until 2044 in 2010. One of the base's responsibilities is to ensure protection against external threats to Armenia.

In May of this year, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu stated that Moscow does not see any preconditions for halting the operations of the 102nd military base in Gyumri. “As for the Russian military base, it is living, working, and functioning, and at the moment we do not see any preconditions or threats that would suggest that base is not going to be there,” Shoigu noted.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also stated in February that Yerevan does not have any plans regarding the 102nd Russian military base, emphasizing that Armenia and Russia continue to remain close partners. Earlier, former Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Alen Simonyan also announced that Armenia is not considering the issue of withdrawing the Russian military base from its territory.