Armenia can no longer rely on Russia for military and defence needs - PM Pashinyan
Source: Reuters
Armenia can no longer rely on Russia for military and defence needs - PM Pashinyan
Guy Faulconbridge
Updated Fri, February 2, 2024 at 5:01 AM EST·2 min read
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Armenia can no longer rely on Russia as its main defence and military partner because Moscow has repeatedly let it down so Yerevan must think about forging closer ties with the United States and France, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.
Armenia, a former Soviet republic bordered by Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey, has long relied on Russia as a big power ally and hosts a Russian military base in Gyumri, about 90 km (55 miles) northwest of the capital, and other facilities.
But Pashinyan, a former journalist who came to power in 2018 after a wave of street protests which he casts as a revolution, has angered the Kremlin by questioning the foundations of the alliance.
"We need to understand who we can really maintain military-technical and defence relations with," Pashinyan told Armenian Public Radio when asked about reform of Armenia's armed forces.
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