Opposition politician: The threat of Turkish military aggression persists

ArmInfo. "My views on the 102nd Russian military base coincide with the provisions of the document <National Security Strategy Concept> signed by Nikol Pashinyan in July 2020, in which Russian cooperation, including in the military sphere and in a bilateral format, as well as Armenia's membership in the CSTO, are considered components of the security system of the Republic of Armenia," opposition MP Edgar Ghazaryan (Strong Armenia party) told journalists during a briefing on September 14.

At the same time, he emphasized that the main and primary component of our country's security system is the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia. However, in addition to the Armed Forces, as the opposition politician noted, the state has other components of its security system, including cooperation with various states and international organizations, both in bilateral and multilateral formats.

The MP pointed out that various countries have military units of other states stationed on their territories, which are part of their security systems. And this, Ghazaryan said, by no means weakens the role of their own armed forces, but on the contrary strengthens the state's security system. In this regard, he cited the example of Poland, where U.S. military bases are deployed.

"The Russian military base and Russian border troops are stationed in Armenia as a result of Armenian-Russian bilateral military­political cooperation, and they are part of our country's security system. Our Armed Forces have a clear plan for synchronizing actions with the Russian forces stationed here, both in peacetime and under martial law.

If any component is removed from our country's security system and is not replaced by an equivalent component that will compensate for this element of the security system and be able to reduce possible security risks," Ghazaryan noted.

Asked whether this referred to a possible Turkish military invasion, the MP noted that such a threat continues to exist.

"Since Turkey does not regard Armenia as a friendly state, and in Armenia's strategic security documents Turkey is viewed as a state posing a threat to Armenia's security," he emphasized.

According to the MP, there is no separate border treaty between Armenia and Turkey; there is only an international treaty on the state border between the USSR and Turkey. If Russian troops are withdrawn from the territory of Armenia, this treaty will consequently also be annulled. "This means that it could provide Turkey with a legal basis for changing its border with Armenia," Ghazaryan noted.

Asked by journalists to clarify whether Turkey, like Azerbaijan, adheres to the provisions of the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration regarding the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, the MP noted that this document has nothing to do with borders. According to him, the declaration only concerns cooperation among independent states within the framework of the CIS organization that was established and Armenia's accession to it.

"And, incidentally, the Supreme Council of Armenia adopted this document with reservations concerning border issues," Ghazaryan clarified.

It should be recalled that the 102nd Russian military base has been stationed in Armenia pursuant to an interstate treaty between Moscow and Yerevan concluded in 1995. The base's personnel are on combat duty within the framework of the Joint CIS Air Defense System.

On August 20, 2010, Russia and Armenia extended the term of the agreement on the deployment of the base until 2044. The protocol also provides for expanding the scope of its geographical and strategic responsibility.

The air component of the 102nd Russian military base in Gyumri is the Erebuni airbase, stationed in Yerevan. The airbase's personnel are on combat duty for air defense within the Joint Air Defense System of the CIS states.