Basic needs: Armenian Parliament does not consider withdrawal of Russian troops from Gyumri

The issue of the withdrawal of the Russian military base from Gyumri is not being discussed in the Armenian parliament, Gegham Manukyan, a member of the Standing Committee on Defense and Security, told Izvestia. The base's tenure ends in 2044. However, in early September, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated for the first time that Yerevan would not object if the Russian Federation decided to withdraw its military base from the republic. The expert community emphasizes that without the Russian military presence in Armenia, the risk of forceful pressure on it from Azerbaijan and Turkey increases dramatically. In addition, the closure of the base carries significant economic losses for the Shirak region, where the facility is located.

Russian base in Armenia: latest news

Recently, the status of the Russian base in Gyumri has become a cause for political controversy. In early September, Nikol Pashinyan stated that her presence was not considered a "vital necessity" for the country and Yerevan would not object if Moscow decided to withdraw its military. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in turn, noted that Russia is ready to leave "even tomorrow" if the Armenian side is no longer interested in it.

The 102nd Russian military base in Gyumri has been operating since 1995 on the basis of a bilateral agreement, which was extended in 2010 until 2044. It is impossible to terminate this agreement prematurely without parliamentary approval. According to the law, any changes, suspension or termination of obligations under strategic defense agreements go through the same stages as their adoption. The procedure includes mandatory open hearings, discussions in commissions and voting by the deputy corps.

At the same time, the Armenian parliament emphasizes that no discussions on this issue are currently underway in the legislature.

"There are no such official discussions, this issue is being raised only on public and information platforms, but there are no specifics on this," Gegham Manukyan, a member of the Standing Committee on Defense and Security, told Izvestia. — Let's see how the government will manifest itself. There will definitely be some discussions after that.

Although Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has repeatedly stated that there are no plans to withdraw the base from the republic, he regularly promoted the thesis that there are allegedly no advantages from its deployment in the country. Instead, Armenia has become more active in conducting exercises with Western partners in recent years. For example, in June, the large-scale joint tactical exercises Eagle Partner 2026 were held there with the involvement of US troops. At the same time, the media write that the Armenian Defense Ministry is considering the possibility of changing certain elements of the service in accordance with NATO standards, in particular the format of greeting with hands.

At the same time, the Russian Federation still maintains its presence in Armenia. At the end of June, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin also noted that Yerevan had not received any signals of intentions to review the agreement on the base in Gyumri. At the same time, the diplomat stressed that certain political forces and pro-Western public organizations in Armenia are trying to denigrate the Russian military presence, presenting it as an "instrument of occupation" or a manifestation of an unfriendly attitude towards the republic.

Solid Kumar: how Armenia is looking for a replacement for Russia in the field of security

Indian Defense Minister arrives in Yerevan on an official visit

What is the importance of the base in Gyumri

The importance of the 102nd military base is determined primarily by its geographical location and participation in the Russian-Armenian military cooperation system. Its creation in the 1990s was dictated by the need to ensure Armenia's security from potential military intervention by Turkey and deter regional threats in the context of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. Despite the fact that following the results of the 2023 war, Yerevan actually recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, the confrontation between the republics has not yet been exhausted.

Experts interviewed by Izvestia emphasize that without a Russian military presence, the risk of military pressure from Baku and Ankara increases dramatically. Azerbaijan is striving to build an overland corridor to Nakhichevan through the territory of Armenia, but this issue has not yet been resolved. According to Andrey Klintsevich, head of the Center for the Study of Military and Political Conflicts, there is still no road, and the American TRIPP transport corridor project still exists only on paper. In these circumstances, according to the expert, it is the Russian troops that remain the only real deterrent that prevents Turkey and Azerbaijan from escalating the conflict again.

In addition, the 102nd base is deeply integrated into the CIS joint air defense system. According to the analyst, if it is closed, Armenia will be in an extremely vulnerable position, as it does not have its own air defense systems of a similar scale. Russian air defense and electronic intelligence systems stationed at the base control the airspace over Turkey and Iran. Without them, Yerevan will lose the opportunity to record preparations for sudden missile or air strikes in time, Klintsevich explained.

Finally, apart from pure defense, the withdrawal of the base carries serious economic risks for Armenia. The base in Gyumri is of significant importance for the Shirak region, as military personnel form a demand chain by actively purchasing local goods and services, said Tatul Manaseryan, head of the Alternative Research Center. Thus, the closure of the facility may lead to significant job losses in Armenia.

Another pressing issue in the military-political dialogue between Russia and Armenia remains the freezing of Yerevan's participation in the CSTO. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that sanctions could be imposed against the republic due to two years of non-payment of membership fees, for example, to deprive it of the right to vote. It is possible that this issue will be discussed at a meeting of the Collective Security Council to be held in Moscow on November 11.