Armenia's Foreign Minister: Armenia Now Has the Capacity to Station Its Own Border Guards at Yerevan Airport

Armenia's Foreign Minister, Ararat Mirzoyan, addressed the media on Thursday, shedding light on the communication between Yerevan and Moscow concerning the presence of Russian border guards at Zvartnots International Airport in the Armenian capital.

During the press conference, Minister Mirzoyan reiterated statements made by the Secretary of the Council of Armenia, confirming that the Russian side had been informed about the initiative to transition away from the presence of Russian border guards at Zvartnots airport.

Initially conceptualized as support for independent Armenia, the Russian border guards were intended to be stationed at various border checkpoints, including Zvartnots airport, until Armenia developed its own institutional capabilities. According to Minister Mirzoyan, Armenia has now reached the point of institutional capacity to independently manage border guard services at the airport.

"We believe that Armenia is institutionally capable of independently implementing border guard service at the [Yerevan] airport, about which we have informed the Russian side. I believe that this will be enough for the Russian side, and the matter will be over," remarked Mirzoyan. He clarified that this decision encompasses the entire jurisdiction package at the airport.

Expressing gratitude to the Russian side, Mirzoyan stated, "The Armenian side has informed [the Russian side] that it does not need [anymore] the border guard service of Russian border guards at the airport," without delving into technical details, as the notification was conveyed through the relevant service.

Responding to questions about the presence of Russian border guards at other locations in Armenia, Minister Mirzoyan clarified that the current decision only pertains to Zvartnots airport. "Therefore, we are talking only about the airport," he emphasized, highlighting the specificity of the matter at hand.