Azernews.Az

BAKU – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said Moscow’s military base in Armenia does not pose a threat to Azerbaijan.

"The military agreement signed by Russia and Armenia does not bear any importance of principle. Russia’s base in Gyumri and the deal extending the term of its stationing do not pose a threat to Azerbaijan," Medvedev told reporters in Baku on Friday.

Moscow had been set to vacate the Gyumri base in western Armenia in 2020. However, the new agreement, signed on August 20 during President Medvedev’s recent visit to Yerevan, updates the 1995 treaty, extending Russia’s basing rights by 24 years until 2044. The protocol also commits Russia to updating Armenia's military hardware and ensuring its security.

President Medvedev said promoting stability in the volatile Caucasus region was pivotal for Moscow.

"This agreement serves as a type of security guarantor in the region. In other words, Russia is interested in regional peace. And the outcomes of my visit to Armenia should be assessed this way. There is no covert or any other intention here."

Azerbaijan, which faces a long-standing conflict with Armenia, earlier called on Moscow to honor previous agreements on not using arms at the Gyumri base against it.

Elkhan Shahinoglu, the head of Baku-based Atlas research center, says that such statements by President Medvedev were anticipated following Russia’s signing the defense pact with Armenia. The statement, he said, aims mostly to appease the Azerbaijani public, as Moscow is aware of the strongly-worded response that came from Azerbaijan over the military agreement.

"But Russia is unlikely to change the attitude toward itself in Azerbaijan by issuing such statements. The state of Russia-Azerbaijan relations is clearly shown by the agreements Moscow has signed with Yerevan and Baku. Russia’s cooperation agreements with Armenia in the military field and with Azerbaijan in the economic field are an indicator of misbalance."

Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict for two decades. Russia co-chairs the OSCE Minsk Group brokering the peace process, along with the United States and France.