Edmon Marukyan Proposes Negotiations on a Russian Base in Syunik

Edmon Marukyan, the president of the Bright Armenia Party, has issued a statement, which in particular states: “I announced on December 5 that we need to update our legal framework by signing a new security agreement with our strategic partner, the Russian Federation, after which the well-known events in Syunik occurred.

The deputies of the Bright Armenia Party conducted a fact-finding trip to the communities in the Syunik region, where the positions of the Azerbaijani armed forces have dangerously approached the borders as a result of the war. Summarizing the visit of our deputies to the Syunik region, we believe it is necessary to address several questions. A key question is what our new security agreement with the Russian Federation should look like, which is proposed by the Bright Armenia Party, or how a new Russian military base would ensure the security of Syunik.

The 2020 war over Artsakh significantly changed the geopolitical landscape in the South Caucasus and shattered the security system Armenia has had for the past 26 years. The mechanisms of military-political deterrents and counterweights that since 1994, under the Bishkek Protocol, allowed either to deter the conflicting parties from the heat of war or quickly ‘extinguish’ the escalation of conflict (as in April 2016), came under the devastating blow of Turkish-Azerbaijani forces, resulting in the 44-day continuous brutal military actions that claimed thousands of lives, distorted the health of tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians, left tens of thousands of peaceful residents homeless, and placed new towns and other areas under threat.

Undoubtedly, the Russian Federation, through the country’s highest leadership, played a decisive role in halting military operations. The Armenian people appreciate and are deeply grateful for the steadfastness with which the Russian peacekeeper stood alongside our soldiers and citizens. For this reason, the Bright Armenia Party immediately announced after the cessation of military operations the necessity of implementing new security mechanisms for both Armenia and the region, particularly the signing of a new agreement for deepened military-political cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation.

Our recent visit to the southern region of the country and our communication with compatriots living in Syunik have revealed serious concerns among citizens regarding the potential encroachment by the enemy upon their communities, as the border has already become dangerously close to their villages. It is evident that the Republic of Armenia is located within the same security zone as the Russian Federation under the existing military-political contractual framework, particularly based on the Collective Security Treaty and 5 intergovernmental agreements.

We propose to consolidate the following intergovernmental agreements into a broader agreement on deepened military-political cooperation between Armenia and Russia, by reassessing contemporary risks and threats, which would mean acknowledging the realities currently present on the ground:

• Agreement on the status of the Russian border troops located on the territory of the Republic of Armenia and the conditions of their activities (1992),
• Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation (1997),
• Agreement on Joint Planning for the Deployment of Forces (2000),
• Agreement on the establishment of a unified regional air defense system in the Caucasus region (2015),
• Agreement on the Joint Group of Troops (Forces) of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation (2016).

The new agreement should specifically emphasize the security of the Syunik region. It is clear that the changes in military-strategic positions in Artsakh pose several threats to the peaceful and secure life of our citizens residing in Syunik, particularly concerning the border situation of the city of Meghri and surrounding areas, the adjacency of Kapans' administrative and economic center to the border, Goris, and several surrounding communities (specifically Shurnukh, Vorotan, Tegh, Khndzorak, Nerkin Khndzorak, Davit Bek), as well as the immediate proximity of Azerbaijani forces to the Goris-Kapan interstate highway connecting EAEU countries with Iran.

In this regard, we consider it crucial to initiate urgent negotiations regarding the deployment of a new Russian military base in the Syunik region. The military base will not only become a support for the effective, rapid, and mobile operations of the Russian peacekeeping forces in Artsakh, but it will also serve as a guarantor of long-term peace and security in the region, fitting into the unified security zone of the CSTO, and acting as a border between the EAEU and the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is under a temporary agreement regime aimed at forming a free trade area.

It should be noted that the experience of the 102nd Russian military base in Gyumri serves as a guarantee of the effectiveness of this security mechanism. For decades, that base has ensured the inviolability of the Armenian-Turkish border.

We assess the potential of a new agreement between Armenia and Russia historically. Such a document could become an affirmation of our peoples' centuries-old friendship, the protection of shared values, and the willingness to fight against existing threats (the spread of terrorism, the militaristic and expansionist rhetoric of neighboring countries, and the increase in the military power of neighboring states and political entities).

For these reasons, the Bright Armenia Party has begun drafting the key provisions regarding the proposed agreement and the deployment of a new Russian military base in Syunik, and we intend to actively promote the implementation of this mechanism, as ensuring our citizens' secure life is a primary task for us.