The Russian parliament's upper house, the Federation Council, has ratified a protocol extending Russia's use of a military base in Armenia.
In 2010, Russia and Armenia signed amendments to a 1995 bilateral treaty extending Russia's use of the 102nd Military Base in Gyumri, near Armenia's border with Turkey, through to 2044.
The protocol stipulates that the term will be automatically extended every five years unless one of the parties notifies the other about the annulment of the treaty six months in advance.
The base is under the command of Russia's North Caucasus Military District and is part of the CIS integrated air defence system.
There are around 5,000 personnel at the base, as well as S-300 surface-to-air missile systems and MiG-29 fighters.
Russia has repeatedly said that the presence of its base in the Central Asian republic does not violate any international agreements or upset the balance of forces in the region.
The protocol, signed in August 2010, was ratified in the Armenian parliament on 12 April by 80 votes in favour and one abstention.
Under the document, Russia is to supply modern military equipment to Armenia. The document highlights the prolongation of the Russian military base’s presence in Armenia from 25 to 49 years.
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