Samvel Balasanyan, mayor of Armenia’s second largest city Gyumri, is looking forward to the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Sure, we are pleased that he is coming to Gyumri. The Russian 102nd military base is located here and there are Russian soldiers guarding the border. We have a long history with Russia,”   Balasanyan noted. “Why shouldn’t we be glad?”

When asked if any plots of land in Gyumri would be handed over to the Russians as a result of Armenia’s entry into the Customs Union, Balasanyan said nothing of the kind is planned at the moment but that such agreements might be reached after Putin’s visit.

“I don’t believe that anyone is currently suggesting handing over land to the Russians. I would have been informed as the mayor of the city. But if we are to enter the Customs Union, we must be prepared to go that route through negotiations and mutual agreements,” Mayor Balasanyan said.

He added that a business forum was being planned for December 2, the day when Putin is scheduled to arrive in Armenia, focusing issues related to the Custom’s Union.