Russia to re-equip military base in Armenia

Russia intends to begin re-equipping the 102nd Military Base in Armenia, said Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov in a press conference yesterday. At the same time, he said that a serious build-up will not take place. 'The supplying of weapons to the base will have an exclusively defensive character and will not destabilize the situation in the region,' said Ivanov.

He also said that Russia will supply weapons at the relatively lower prices of the Russian domestic market as part of a collective security agreement beginning in January 2004.

In regard to the agreements signed yesterday by the Russian and Armenian defense ministers, Ivanov said that they permit personnel of the Russian military base to feel more comfortably on the territory of their ally.