ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
September 27, 2005 Tuesday

Russian military base adds to Armenian security - president

By Tigran Liloyan

YEREVAN

The Russian military base in Armenia adds to the Armenian national
security, President Robert Kocharyan told a joint press briefing with
Finnish leader Tarja Halonen on Tuesday. Halonen is paying an
official visit to Armenia.

There have been sporadic press reports, which claimed that the
Russian military base was allegedly thrust upon Yerevan, Kocharyan
said. "This is absolutely wrong. The base was deployed in Armenia on
the basis of a bilateral agreement, and it meets our interests," he
said.

"We live in an intricate region, and the Russian military base is a
component of our security," he said. Any enlargement of the base is
not discussed, he said.

The 102nd military base of the Russian Defense Ministry with the
strength of 5,000 men was deployed in Armenia in conformity with
several bilateral treaties. Local residents have nothing against the
base, which is the successor to the Leninakan motorized infantry
division of the South Caucasian military district. The main component
of the base is situated in Gyumri, former Leninakan, and subordinated
to the Russian forces in the South Caucasus.