The Secretary of the Russian Security Council Sergei Shoigu said that Russia must keep its key military base in Armenia despite the growing tension caused by Yerevan's strengthening ties with the West, Reuters reports, BTA reports.
According to him, the Russian military presence in the country is a guarantee of Armenia's security.
Shoigu also commented on the recently signed strategic partnership between Armenia and the United States, describing it as superficial and comparing the process to a political campaign.
„As for the strategic partnership agreement. Let's imagine: a person arrives in one hour. During that hour, he manages to sign a strategic partnership agreement. This is more like an election campaign or assistance in the election campaign…“, he said, emphasizing that the document lacks sufficient clarity and in-depth development, TASS reports.
The reason for his statement was the framework agreement for strategic cooperation between Armenia and the United States on the project “Trump's Path to International Peace and Prosperity“ (TRIPP), signed on May 26 by Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his visit to Yerevan. The upcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia are scheduled for June 7.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Yerevan had unofficially expressed its reluctance to allow Russian representatives to participate as observers in the election process, including deputies of the Russian Duma and a member of the election commission from Karachay-Cherkessia, TASS reported.
Against this backdrop, Armenia held a military parade in Yerevan, demonstrating new weapons systems and equipment shortly before the elections and amid heightened tensions with Moscow, Reuters notes.
Among the weapons on display were air defense systems from India, artillery and armored personnel carriers from France, drones made in Armenia, as well as Russian missile systems.
Armenia, which maintains Russian military bases and participates in an economic union led by Moscow, has gradually strengthened its cooperation with the West under the government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. This is causing tension with Russia, which has warned that it may limit supplies of energy resources and raw materials if Yerevan continues its European orientation, Reuters points out.