RUSSIAN MILITARY BASE TO REMAIN IN ARMENIA

news.am
Jan 18 2010
Armenia

No matter the Armenian-Turkish relations develop, the issue of the
Russian military base in Armenia will not be considered, Alexander
Iskandaryan, Director of the Institute of Caucasus, stated during a
Yerevan-Moscow space bridge.

He pointed out that the Russian military base in Gyumri will not be
dismantled though its presence is not so topical after the bases in
Akhalkalak and Batum were wound up and the five-day war took place. "I
do not know what will happen in 50 or 100 years, but I cannot imagine
that the Armenian-Turkish relations will change so much that Armenia
will demand the Russian military base to be withdrawn," Iskandaryan
said. He pointed out that the situation will not change radically if
Russia "continues showing will."

Iskandaryan also said that the military base is playing a symbolic
role for Armenian-Turkish relations – it is part of these relations.

He reminded the participants that Armenia is a member of the Collective
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Armenian servicemen maintain
permanent contacts with Russian servicemen, and the Armenian frontier
troops are closely cooperating with Russian troops.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress