YEREVAN. Nov 11 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Moscow is not planning to increase the number of its troops in Armenia, but intends to supply them with new military equipment.
"I believe Russia's military presence in Armenia is necessary. We currently have over 5,000 servicemen in Armenia. In addition, the military hardware at the Russian 102nd base makes any threat to Armenia unrealistic," Ivanov told a news conference in Yerevan on Tuesday.
"There will be no qualitative increase in the number of Russian troops in Armenia," Ivanov said.
"Five thousand Defense Ministry servicemen, plus the Russian border guard troops in Armenia are enough, but we are not happy with our group's military equipment," he said.
"We will rearm and re-equip the Russian 102nd military base in Armenia," Ivanov said.