NA Speaker comments on Armenia`s possible NATO membership and  withdrawal of the Russian base

ArmInfo. Armenia should not belong to any military bloc.  This opinion was expressed by the Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, in an  interview with Deutsche Welle, addressing whether Armenia would apply  for NATO membership.

According to Simonyan, Armenia's role is defined by its geographic  location and its capabilities. He expressed conviction that current  analysis suggests the country should remain neutral.  It would become  a bargaining chip for one side or the other. I do not want my country  to be a bargaining chip for Russia, Brussels, the United States, or  any other party. Armenia is located next to Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey,  and Georgia. It is landlocked on all four sides," Simonyan said,  adding that the history of the Armenian people has taught them much,  and past mistakes must not be repeated.

Regarding the possible withdrawal of the Russian 102nd Military Base  from Armenian territory, Simonyan noted that the base will remain in  the country until the expiration of its contract.  "The issue of  withdrawing the Russian 102nd Military Base from Armenia is not  currently on the table.  Why should Armenia act on an 'all or  nothing' principle and ruin relations with countries with which it  has had long-standing ties? Yes, there are problems; yes, we disagree  on many things and do not support much of what is happening in the  world—such as the war in Ukraine and other matters—but what can our  European partners offer us? The EU is not a military bloc. I do not  exclude that we may raise this issue someday, but at the moment, we  are not considering the removal of the Russian base," Simonyan added.

The Russian military base is stationed in Armenia under a 1995  interstate treaty. In 2010, the document was amended, extending its  tenure in Armenia from the original 25 years to 49 years, until 2044.