No plans to build up military personnel at base in Armenia-Ivanov
By Alexander Konovalov, Tigran Liloyan

ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 20, 2004 Thursday

YEREVAN, May 20 — Russia has no plans for building up the strength
of its contingent at the 102nd military base in Armenia, Russian
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov has said after talks with his Armenian
counterpart Serge Sarkisian.

“There are no plans for increasing the contingent at the Gyumri base.
We believe that the number of military we have there is sufficient
and optimal. It is not quantitative, but qualitative parameters of
the base’s operation that really count, and we have monitored its
condition and performance very closely to ensure that the Russian
military base in Armenia, which is part of the Russian military group
in the Caucasus, be well supplied with ammunition, hold training under
the expected schedule and improve itself technically. Increasing the
number of Russian military at the Gyumri base will make no sense and
there are no reasons for this.”