I don’t think that the normalization of relations with Turkey should be linked to the deployment of the Russian military base. It is a topic of political discussion which was opened by the Russian side, and the Armenian side has said that it is ready for this discussion with any outcome. Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, on Thursday told this to reporters in the government.

“I don’t see a threat from Turkey that threatens the sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia. Starting from August 8, 2025, I do not see any threat at all, and I don’t want to link the issue of the [Russian] military base [in Armenia] with Turkey,” Simonyan said.

When asked why the Russian military base remains in Armenia in that case, the secretary of the Security Council replied: “Ask the Russian side. I have nothing to say. We [i.e. Armenia] are not discussing, we have not discussed such an issue. It’s an issue that has been brought to their [i.e. Russia’s] agenda, any outcome of which is acceptable to us.”

And regarding the fact that various members of the Armenian authorities, including Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, have insinuated that if the Russia raises the price of its natural gas in Armenia, the latter may demand a fee for the services being provided to the Russian military base in Armenia, Alen Simonyan said: "That's why we need to take stock of our relations, figure out. Look, in Armenian-Russian relations, you are mainly pointing to the negative aspects, but we have many points where Armenia and Russia cooperate, and Armenia, in turn, provides great benefits to the economy of the Russian Federation."