Armenia pledges to keep Russian base in Gyumri open for now

Armenia is not discussing the withdrawal of the Russian military base from its territory in Gyumri, Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan said.

"There is no such issue, Armenia is not currently discussing the possibility of withdrawing the Russian military base,” Alen Simonyan said.

Earlier, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan clarified that Russian border guards were initially stationed temporarily in the country.

Russia’s 102nd Military Base in Gyumri, Armenia's Shirak Province, operates under the 1995 lease agreement extended until 2044.