Yerevan is not planning new foreign military bases on its territory, but is about to modernize the Russian base in Gyumri, Armenia’s Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan has said.
“Armenia is definitely not holding talks on the opening of any new foreign military bases. We have not received any offer from the Russian side,” Sargsyan said in an interview with Interfax.
He noted, however, that the Russian Military base #102 in Gyumri is “of great importance.”
“We hold intensive discussions with our Russian counterparts on its modernization and expansion of its capacities. There are concrete topics and directions, where new forms of cooperation are possible,” the Minister said, meaning particularly the cooperation in the field of air defense.
“Russia is largely supporting the reinforcement of the Armenian Armed Forces. We have a lot of joint programs starting from training of our cadets to joint operation planning,” he added.
The Minister also informed about an agreement on cooperation in the military-industrial sphere reached during his meeting with Russia’s Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manurov.
