Pashinyan sees no point in maintaining Russian military bases in Armenia

Baku/25.10.23/Turan: Armenia is looking for new partners, since Moscow is not fulfilling its obligations as an ally, especially in the last month, said Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

“These events essentially led us to the decision that we need to diversify our security relationships, and we are now trying to do that,” the Armenian leader said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

He added that in this regard, he does not see any advantages in maintaining the presence of Russian military bases in Armenia.

Pashinyan further noted that he remains optimistic about the prospects for a peaceful settlement with Azerbaijan in the coming months.

Asked about the country's historical relations with Russia, Pashinyan called for a focus on Armenia's much longer history with its Turkic neighbors Turkey and Azerbaijan. “This is where all the questions and all the answers lie,” he said. "First and foremost, we must work to improve our regional relations."

The diversification of security relations that Armenia seeks should be understood as a desire for lasting regional peace, and not simply as a request for Western military bases and weapons, Pashinyan emphasized. -02D-