Azernews.Az

BAKU – Azerbaijan is investigating the military agreement signed last week between Russia and Armenia, which renews Moscow's lease on a military base in Gumri for 24 years.

The agreement, undersigned by the Armenian and Russian defense ministers, updates the 1995 treaty, extending Russia’s basing rights until 2044, though Russia was previously set to vacate the base in 2020. The protocol also commits Russia to updating Armenia's military hardware and ensuring its security. Azerbaijan has called on Moscow to honor previous agreements on not using arms at the Gyumri base against it.

"Any agreement or treaty signed between Russia and Armenia are an affair of those countries alone," Presidential Administration department head Ali Hasanov told journalists Wednesday. "But the safety of the South Caucasus, and the volume of conventional and strategic weapons in the region - these are not problems of just these two states. These matters are governed by a flank agreement in accordance with the OSCE concept on security in Europe. Now our military specialists and OSCE officials are engaged in defining compliance with arms quotas. Following the investigation, the Azerbaijani government will voice its position."

Hasanov added that Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Russia joined the OSCE's flank agreement on the South Caucasus in 1992. The document states the volume of conventional weapons in the South Caucasus, including military equipment, aircraft, tanks and other armored vehicles, as well as arms quotas for each country.