Azernews.Az

MOSCOW – Armenia’s top court is due to pass a decision next February on extending the term of Russia’s military base on its soil under a recent agreement signed with Moscow, Russia’s Regnum news agency quoted its spokesman as saying.

Ovanes Papikyan said one of the nine constitutional court judges will study the document and further address a relevant court hearing.

Russia was previously set to vacate the Gyumri base in Armenia in 2020. However, an agreement signed in August during Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to Yerevan, updates the 1995 treaty, extending Russia’s military presence by 24 years until 2044, and also commits Russia to updating Armenia's military hardware and ensuring its security.

Armenian media reported that the agreement, which is of tremendous importance for the country’s security, has yet to be tabled in parliament. An Armenian lawmaker who declined to give his name said there were two options for ratifying the accord. It could either be approved in both parliaments on the same day or be ratified in the Russian State Duma first and then in the Armenian parliament. The source also said that according to international experience, if one of the signatories of an agreement is a superpower, the latter is to approve it first.

Regnum said that Russia is in no haste to ratify the defense pact either.

"Apparently, they are confident in Moscow that the Gyumri base is not going anywhere and that the agreement signed with Armenia will be endorsed in the Armenian parliament in any given political climate at home."