Russia has not received any official request from Armenia to withdraw its military base from Gyumri, while Moscow continues to regard the deployment as an important element of Armenia’s and the wider South Caucasus security architecture, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin stated on September 15.

Speaking to Russian media, Galuzin noted that the future of Russia’s military presence in Armenia has become an active subject of political debate in the country. He argued that Moscow currently sees no practical alternative to the Russian base, including amid Armenia’s expanding defense cooperation with other partners.

Galuzin specifically questioned whether another country could realistically replace Russia’s role, citing France as an example due to its geographical distance from Armenia. He added that Moscow remains ready to consider further defense and security cooperation with Yerevan as part of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s proposed review of bilateral relations.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova separately maintained that the 102nd Russian Military Base in Gyumri has no tangible alternative and stressed that Moscow intends to honor the agreements governing its presence in Armenia. 

The issue is expected to feature in upcoming Armenian-Russian talks in Moscow. The base operates under a 1995 agreement between the two countries, whose deployment period was extended in 2010 until 2044. Its air component is based at Erebuni in Yerevan and participates in air-defense duties within the CIS Joint Air Defense System.

Zakharova also reiterated Moscow’s position on Armenia’s prospective EU membership. She claimed that Yerevan should clarify its future integration course and questioned the Armenian government’s reasoning for delaying a referendum on EU membership. According to her, the legislation adopted in Armenia last year to begin the EU accession process already demonstrates the direction being pursued.

Yerevan has not formally requested the withdrawal of Russian forces from Gyumri, with Moscow continuing to present the 102nd Military Base as a critical component of Armenia’s security and remains prepared to maintain the deployment under the existing agreement.