Armenia's security system will not be functional without the Russian military base in the country, opposition Strong Armenia party chairman, businessman, and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan believes.

Speaking with reporters, Karapetyan said that the presence of this Russian military base is very important for Armenia's security system. The system will not function without this military base, he added.

Responding to a question about the prospect of resettling 300 thousand Azerbaijanis in Armenia, Karapetyan noted that as far as he knows, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan is already concerned about the concept of "Western Azerbaijan," and this is no longer 300 thousand, but millions of Azerbaijanis.

"He [Pashinyan] also is already on our side, he will vote for us [in the next elections in Armenia]," Karapetyan joked.

The opposition politician noted that Pashinyan is generally “kept afloat” by the Russian military base. Otherwise, Azerbaijan and Turkey could unite, with all the consequences that follow from it, and Pashinyan, in turn, can treat this Russian military base as he does with the CSTO—freezing the matter indefinitely.

“[Turkish FM Hakan] Fidan and [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev’s ‘chicks’ will not remain without owners. There will be no security system [in Armenian] without the [Russian] military base [in the country]. Or what? Let’s pin our hopes on ‘commander’ Pashinyan, and we will have ‘peace,’ like in Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)],” Karapetyan added, with sarcasm.