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Russia and Armenia have agreed that Russian serviceman Valery Permyakov, who has been accused of murdering a family of seven in Armenia's northern city of Gyumri, will go on trial in Armenia on the premises of Russia's military base there, sources familiar with the situation told Interfax on Tuesday.

"The parties reached a final agreement that the trial in this high-profile case will proceed in Gyumri, at Garrison Military Court No. 102 of the Russian military base," one of the sources said.

Such a decision was adopted in accordance with the bilateral agreement regulating the presence of Russia's military base in northern Armenia, he said.

Another source told Interfax that Russia and Armenia had also agreed to cooperate during a preliminary investigation.

"Since the crime of the Avetisyan family's murder is being investigated simultaneously by the Russian and Armenian sides, they are considering the possibility of adopting a joint, consolidated indictment based on Russian penal laws," he said.

Permyakov also faces charges of going absent without leave (AWOL) in possession of firearms, he said.

"The Russian side will be informed of all circumstances established by Armenian investigators and will add them to the case files," the source said.

Six members of one family, including a two-year-old child, were shot dead in their house in Gyumri on January 12. A six-month-old baby was hospitalized with stab wounds. He died in hospital on January 12. Valery Permyakov, a serviceman of the 102nd Russian military base stationed in Gyumri, the main suspect in the murder, was detained by Russian border guards while attempting to cross the Armenian-Turkish border near Yerazgavors village in Armenia’s Shirak province. Permyakov is held in custody at the Russian military base. He was questioned and confessed to the crime. Permyakov is charged under Article 105.2 and 338.2 of the Russian Criminal Code (murder and desertion). Also, Armenian Investigative Committee brought a charge against Permyakov under Article 104 part 2 point 1 (murder of two or more persons) of the Armenian Criminal Code.