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Patrushev to discuss security coop'n in Yerevan Wednesday

The military base and the Gyumri border guarding detachment are deployed here in accordance with the interstate treaties

YEREVAN, February 8 (Itar-Tass) — Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation (SCRF), begins a two-day visit to the Republic of Armenia on Wednesday, during which he will focus on Russia-Armenia cooperation in the field of security and on interaction between the Security Councils of Russia and Armenia.

Immediately upon arriving here, Patrushev will meet with Artur Bagdasaryan, Secretary of the National Security Council of Armenia (NSCA), a staff member of the NSCA told Itar-Tass. Later on Patrushev is to travel to Gyumri -- the second-largest city of Armenia (formerly Leninakan) to inspect the 102nd Russian military base, and a border guarding detachment of the Russian Federal Security Service, meet with Russian servicemen and familiarize himself with their everyday living and military-duty conditions.

The military base and the Gyumri border guarding detachment are deployed here in accordance with the interstate treaties. The leadership of Armenia regards the stay of the Russian military base, with a personnel of about 5,000, and the Russian border guards in the republic as an important component of national security.

The Secretary of the SCRFwill lay a wreath at the Honour Hill -- a memorial to the Russian army officers who perished during the Russo-Turkish wars in the 19th century. This memorial complex was unveiled in 2010 at a ceremony attended by Presidents Dmitry Medvedev of the Russian Federation and Serge Sargsyan of Armenia. A monument to the Heroes of Kars was erected in the grounds of the memorial complex, and the Russian Orthodox chapel of St Michael, the Archistratigus was restored.

On Thursday Patrushev will visit the Matenadaran, the Yerevan-based ancient manuscripts research institute. The delegations of the SCRF and NSCA will hold talks later in the day.

The visit is to end with Patrushev's conversation with Armenian President Serge Sargsyan.

The two national security councils cooperate not only in a bilateral format but also within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States.