YEREVAN. – The most compelling role during Russian Federation (RF) President Vladimir Putin’s December 2 visit to Armenia will be given to the 102nd Russian Military Base stationed in the City of Gyumri, Haykakan Zhamanak daily reports.  

“Even, according to information received, Putin’s plane will land at the airport in Gyumri. He will come to [capital city] Yerevan from Gyumri. 

“But such an agenda of the visit by the RF president is not accidental. The 102nd Military Base is the only one in the South Caucasus, and it is expanding.

“With this, Putin underscores the [102nd] Russian military base’s role for the RF. But, at the same time, he gives a special status to this military base within the framework of Armenian-Russian relations.      

“Putin shows that first and foremost, and primarily, in Armenia he is interested in the military presence of Russia. And this is the core content component of Armenian-Russian relations,” Haykakan Zhamanak writes.