Russian force ends duty at key Armenian point

YEREVAN

A ceremony was held in Armenia’s capital Yerevan on July 31 marking the end of the work conducted by Russian border guards at Zvartnots International Airport.

Russian state news agency TASS reported that the ceremony was held at the airport, located on the western outskirts of Yerevan, and attended by multiple Russian and Armenian authorities, including representatives from Moscow’s embassy in the country.

“It is safe to say that you have worthily represented the Russian Federation, the Border Service of the FSB [Federal Security Service] of the Russian Federation all these years,” Maksim Seleznev, the minister-counselor of the Russian Embassy in Armenia, was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Roman Golubitsky, the head of the Border Service of the FSB in Armenia, was quoted expressing hope that the country’s security “will be ensured at the same high level by our Armenian colleagues.”

Commander of the Border Guard Troops of Armenia’s National Security Service Edgar Hunanyan was also quoted as expressing gratitude to the Russian side for the joint service conducted at the airport.

The report went on to say that several Russian border guards, as well as airport employees, were awarded by both countries for their service.

Russian border guards have been present at Zvartnots Airport under an agreement between the two countries signed in 1992.

However, in March, Armenia declared that it sent an official letter to Russia on the country’s decision to end the duties of Russian border guards at the airport, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan saying that Yerevan has "enough experience, skills and knowledge" to carry them out without Russian assistance.

The work of the Russian border guards officially ended yesterday.

Over the past months, Armenia has been pivoting away from Russia towards Western countries. Yerevan has been searching for new allies ever since it was defeated in the Karabakh war in 2020. The country accuses Moscow of failing to protect it from neighbor and longtime rival Azerbaijan.