Pashinyan rebukes Russia again, calls its Armenia base 'not vital'

Armenia does not consider the presence of Russia’s 102nd military base vital and would not object if Moscow decided to withdraw it from the country, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday.

Speaking at a press briefing in Yerevan about the results of his recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Bishkek, the prime minister also said that transferring Russia’s rights under the concession agreement for Armenia’s railways to a third country would be the best option for Yerevan.

“We have not raised the issue of the Russian military base even once during this period, and it is not the case that we consider the presence of the Russian 102nd Military Base on the territory of Armenia to be a vital necessity,” he said.

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek on September 1, 2026. (AFP Photo)

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Sovereign decision for Armenia

The future of Armenia’s railway infrastructure was among the issues discussed by Putin and Pashinyan during their meeting in Bishkek on Tuesday.

After the meeting, Putin said investment in the railway would depend on the volume of freight traffic, noting that the opening of additional routes could create new cargo flows and make further investment economically viable.

Putin also said the presence of the Russian military base was ultimately a sovereign decision for Armenia.

“If Armenia believes that the Russian military base is not needed, we will leave as early as tomorrow. We will not impose anything on anyone,” he said.

At the same time, Putin said Russia would remain if Armenia’s population wanted a Russian military presence and was prepared to continue working and cooperating with Moscow.

Armenia's multipolar foreign policy

Pashinyan attended the SCO Plus summit in Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek this week. During his speech, he said that Yerevan is pursuing a “multipolar foreign policy” aimed at preserving and strengthening the country’s sovereignty and independence.

“We are providing a practical answer to this question by essentially pursuing a multipolar foreign policy, which we call a balanced and balancing foreign policy,” Pashinyan said.

He said the approach is based on the view that sovereignty and independence cannot be maintained under conditions of conflict.

September 03, 2026 02:40 PM GMT+03:00