Russia has not received any requests from Armenia to withdraw the Russian military base from Gyumri

Arminfo.  Russia has not received any requests from Armenia to withdraw the Russian military base from Gyumri and continues to consider it an important element of the security of the republic and the South Caucasus. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told Izvestia.

"We have not received any requests from the Armenian side regarding the withdrawal of the Russian military base stationed in Gyumri. We continue to proceed from the assumption that it is an important element of the security architecture of Armenia and the South Caucasus," the diplomat said.

According to Galuzin, the issue of Russia’s military presence is currently being actively discussed in Armenia’s social and political sphere; however, Moscow does not yet see any real alternative to it.

"Many quite fairly ask the question: what is the alternative? In our view, no such alternative is apparent today. Frankly speaking, it is difficult to imagine, for example, French soldiers in this role—if only because of France’s geographical distance from Armenia," the deputy foreign minister noted.

"At the same time, Russia is ready to discuss continued cooperation with Armenia in the field of defense and security, including within the framework of the "inventory" of bilateral relations proposed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan," Galuzin added.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia was ready to withdraw its military personnel from Armenia if Yerevan made such a request. Pashinyan later said that Armenia would not object if Moscow itself made the corresponding decision.

The Russian military base has been stationed in Armenia under an interstate treaty dated 1995. In 2010, amendments were made to the document, under which the period of its presence on Armenian territory was extended from the initial 25 years to 49 years, until 2044.