EXPANSION OF RUSSIAN MILITARY BASE IN ARMENIA NOT PLANNED IN NEAR FUTURE
YEREVAN, November 20 (Noyan Tapan). The expansion of Russian
military base No 102 stationed in Armenia is not planned in the near
future. Colonel Mikhail Baranov, the RF Defence Ministry Press Center
Head, informed reporters about this on November 19 in Yerevan. He
underlined that such an expansion may take place only as a result
of a respective decision between Russia and Armenia. According to
Colonel Baranov, financing military base No102 is completely done
by the RF Ministry of Defence, as well as its provision. However,
while responding to NT correspondent’s question, the representative
of the Russian Defence Ministry stated that the closure of the
check point Verin Lars at the Russian-Georgian border did not affect
the vital activities of the base in any way. According to Baranov,
this route accounts for only 20% of total goods transportation to
Armenia. Colonel Baranov stated that the total personnel of military
base No102 makes about 4,000 people and is composed of servicemen on
a contractual basis, officers and non-commissioned officers. Persons –
Armenians by nationality who serve in the base are Russian citizens.