Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he is not concerned that Russia’s new law allowing the use of its military abroad to “protect” arrested Russian citizens could be applied in Armenia.

He stressed that the Russian 102nd military base in Gyumri operates under Armenian law and jurisdiction, regardless of Russian domestic legislation.

Pashinyan was asked at a press briefing whether he was concerned about the law passed by the Russian State Duma, which grants the Russian president the authority to use the Russian military abroad to protect Russian citizens if they are arrested or prosecuted by foreign courts whose jurisdiction Moscow does not recognize.

“There is no concern, because regardless of what laws operate in Russia, the 102nd military base must operate within the framework of Armenian law and under Armenia’s jurisdiction,” Pashinyan said.

The Russian law is aimed at “unfriendly countries” and supplements existing provisions that allow the Russian president to deploy troops in cases where Russia’s interests are threatened.