ArmInfo.The Armenian government is demonstratively breaking ties with Russia, Konstantin Zatulin, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, told RIA Novosti, commenting on Yerevan's intentions to replace Russian border guards at Zvartnots airport with Armenian border troops.
"The Armenian government is demonstratively breaking ties with Russia, looking for reasons, one step followed by another, this corresponds to their policy. I think the matter will not be limited to Zvartnots. Whatever they say now, they are gradually implementing what we warned about: this refers to leaving the CSTO, then they will raise the issue of the presence of a base in Gyumri," said Zatulin.
Earlier today, Secretary of the Armenian Security Council of the Republic of Armenia Armen Grigoryan said that Yerevan officially informed Moscow of its intention on replacing Russian border guards at the airport with Armenian border troops to carry out border control at the checkpoint at Zvartnots airport.
At the same time, he noted that the issue of the complete withdrawal of Russian border troops from the territory of Armenia is not being discussed, despite the clash in the area of the village of Nerkin Hand. Grigoryan repeated his previous statement that Russian border guards did not allow EU civilian monitors access to the site of the shooting incident.
On February 13, 4 Armenian soldiers were killed, 1 was wounded, from the shooting of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in the direction of the Armenian positions located near the village of Nerkin Hand.