By Alexander Tagvoryan

YEREVAN, August 27–The US State Department thinks the status of the Russian military base in Gyumri concerns only the Republic of Armenia and Russia. This statement was made by the State Department spokesman Mark Toner on Wednesday.

“I think this is a matter concerning only two countries — Russia and Armenia. Of course, the US has strong partnership relations with Armenia, and we look forward to their continuation. And Russia is part of the Minsk Group and plays a constructive role in this capacity,” said Toner.

The 102nd Russian military base is located in Gyumri. It bears combat duty in the framework of the CIS united air defense system. On August 20, Russia and Armenia extended the contract, signed in 1995. The tenure of the Russian base extended from the previous 25 to 49 years (until 2046, beginning with the protocol’s ratification in 1997). The geographical and strategic responsibility of the base will also be expanded.

Experts have different opinions about the Armenian Russian agreements. Some believe that the agreement could lead to a breach of military-political balance in the South Caucasus. Others think that prolonging the stay of the Russian base in Gyumri will make the Caucasus region more peaceful.

Yerevan Report