Pashinyan: Armenia did not demand the withdrawal of the Russian base and welcomes Russians with affection

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that Yerevan would not object to the withdrawal of the Russian military base from the country if Moscow made such a decision. He made this statement on September 3 at a briefing with journalists following a government meeting.

"We have never raised the issue of the Russian military base during this time, and it's not that we consider the presence of the 102nd Russian military base on Armenian territory vital. If Russia decides to withdraw its military base from Armenia, we will not object, but if they express a desire to remain, we are ready to discuss that as well. But we have never raised these issues during this time," the prime minister emphasized.

He was responding to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who, after meeting with him in Bishkek, stated that Moscow does not intend to impose its military presence on Yerevan.

"If Armenia believes that Armenia doesn't need the Russian military base, we will leave even tomorrow. Is Armenia ready for this?" "Please, we will not impose anything on anyone. And if the Armenian people want some kind of military 'Russian wing' nearby, we will stay, work, and cooperate," Putin said.

As a reminder, during the protocol portion of the meeting in Bishkek, Putin and Pashinyan also publicly argued over Armenia's future foreign economic course. The Russian president stated that the adoption of the law on the EU's accession process effectively means the country's withdrawal from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), "because membership in both is incompatible." Pashinyan disagreed with this interpretation, stating that Armenia had not notified its partners of its intention to leave the EAEU, and the procedure for such a withdrawal is expressly stipulated by the union treaty. He added that the country must notify the other members of the union of such a decision six months in advance.

At today's briefing, Pashinyan also commented on yesterday's statement by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova regarding Armenia's possible introduction of a visa regime for Russian citizens. The Prime Minister stated that the Armenian authorities never intended to restrict the entry of Russian tourists.

"Who even discussed such a matter? We never had such an intention. It never even crossed our minds," Pashinyan noted.

He added that Russian tourists are welcome in Armenia, and the country's residents welcome them with pleasure.

"Armenian citizens welcome these people with pleasure and love. We think they feel comfortable in Armenia, which we are very happy about, just like other tourists from around the world," the Prime Minister said.

According to the Armenian State Statistics Service, 416,743 tourists arrived in Armenia from Russia in the first half of 2026—approximately 40% of the total number of foreign visitors.

Pashinyan also told reporters that Armenia and Russia had agreed to conduct an inventory of bilateral relations. He said the parties intend to determine the practical content of these relations and understand where Yerevan and Moscow's positions coincide and where they diverge. The Prime Minister also announced that he plans to visit Moscow in the near future.

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