Nikol Pashinyan: Russian border guards guard Armenian-Turkish border,  which is very important for Armenia

ArmInfo. "The Russian border troops guard the Armenian-Turkish border, which is very important for Armenia." Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan stated in an interview with the radio station Ekho Moskvi, referring to the possibility of changing the status of the Russian border troops in Armenia.

"It's very good for us that our armed forces are in fact exempt from  this obligation, because it would be a great burden for us to assume  the responsibility of protecting this long border," the Armenian  Prime Minister noted.

Pashinyan again stressed that the issue of revising the status of the  Russian border troops fulfilling a mission in Armenia is not on the  agenda of Russian-Armenian relations: "I have repeatedly stated this,  unfortunately, these my announcements are not noticed by some Russian  political scientists, experts".

As for the 102nd Russian military base in Gyumri, it, according to  the prime minister, is a very important part of the security system  of the Republic of Armenia. "We have agreements, and under these  agreements this military base has specific obligations. This does not  mean that we have no problems with the activities of the military  base and so on, but in general, the existence of the 102nd Russian  military base in Armenia corresponds to the national interests of the  republic. It is not something that corresponds to my ideas or  representations of this or that government. This corresponds to the  national interests of the Republic of Armenia - it is clear to  everyone," Pashinian said, adding that this issue can not be revised.

The border control of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in  Armenia is engaged in protecting the state border of Armenia with  Turkey and Iran. The Russian Federal Security Service in Armenia  includes four border detachments - in Gyumri, Armavir, Artashat and  Meghri, as well as a separate checkpoint at Zvartnots International  Airport in Yerevan. The upkeep of Russian border guards in Armenia is  provided by the governments of both countries.

As for the 102nd Russian military base, it is located in the city of  Gyumri. The base is on alert duty in the framework of the unified air  defense system of the CIS countries. On 20 August 2010, the Russian  Federation and Armenia extended the term of the agreement on the  deployment of the base till 2044. The base is equipped with  anti-aircraft missile systems of S-300V SAM, Buk-M1-2, light  front-line modern fighters of the fourth generation of MiG-29,  military transport helicopters Mi-8MT and Mi-24P.