Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia allows for withdrawal of Russian border guards from borders with Iran and Turkey
YEREVAN, January 24. /ARKA/. Armenia must be able to independently control its borders, stated Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan, adding that this responsibility has historically been handled by a third party.
Hovhannisyan made this statement in response to a journalist’s question about the purpose of sending a special border security group from the United States to Armenia. As U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted on January 14, this group will collaborate with Armenia to strengthen border security.
When asked whether this cooperation could lead to the withdrawal of Russian border guards from the Armenian-Turkish and Armenian-Iranian borders, the Deputy Minister confirmed that this is indeed possible.
"Of course. In an ideal world, every country should be able to control its own borders," emphasized Hovhannisyan.
On October 8, 2024, the press secretary of the Armenian Prime Minister, Nazeli Baghdasaryan, announced that during a meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin, it was agreed that, starting from January 1, 2025, the border troops of Armenia’s National Security Service would begin participating in the protection of the borders with Iran and Turkey. It was also clarified that only Armenian border guards would serve at the checkpoint on the border with Iran.
