FM: “We come for strengthening Russian base in Armenia”

Pan Armenian news

HEAD OF ARMENIAN MOD: `WE COME FOR STRENGTHENING RUSSIAN MILITARY BASE IN
ARMENIA’

26.05.2005 08:03

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `We come for strengthening of the Russian military base
located in Armenia from the point of view of increase of the armament
reserve,’ Armenian Defense Minister Serge Sargsian stated, noting the matter
does not concern the transit of Russian military equipment from Georgia to
Armenia yet, it only concerns armament. `The matter does not concern
military equipment yet. However, if we are going to discuss it, this will
not mean the forming of a new Russian base in Armenia,’ the head of the
Armenian MOD accentuated, Regnum news agency reported. It should be noted
that Russia and Georgia have virtually come to an agreement over the fate of
the two Russian bases located in Akhalkalaki and Batumi. As Georgian FM
Salome Zurabishvili stated, the agreement on the time of withdrawal of
Russian military bases should be reached in the near future. `I think we
will come to an adjusted text soon, as only two questions referring to the
dates are only open,’ Zurabishvili stated.