ArmInfo. The Russian side has been informed about Yerevan's initiative to withdraw border guards of the Federal Security Service ( FSB) of the Russian Federation from Zvartnots airport. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated at a press conference in Yerevan on March 7, in response to a corresponding question, thus confirming the statement of the Security Council Secretary on this issue made on March 6.
According to him, it was initially planned that the participation of Russian border guards at a number of points, including at Zvartnots airport, was intended as assistance to independent Armenia, and it was planned that they would be present as long as Armenia needed, and when it has its institutional capabilities, it will begin to carry out these functions.
"Now we believe that Armenia is institutionally able to independently carry out border service at the airport, about which the Russian side was informed, which, I think, will be sufficient for the Russian side and the issue will be settled," Mirzoyan noted, adding that it refers to the whole package of the airport's powers.
"The Armenian side has informed that it no longer needs the border guard service of the Russian border guards at the airport, of course, thanking the Russian side," said Mirzoyan, without specifying when the message was delivered.
The Foreign Minister added that the notification was transmitted through the relevant services, and he may misrepresent all the details, and therefore will refrain from explaining technical details. When asked about the presence of Russian border guards in other places, for example, on the Armenian- Turkish border, the minister said that we were only talking about the airport.
On March 6, Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan stated that Armenia has sent an official letter to the Russian authorities, informing them of the intention of the Armenian side to stop the service of the Russian border guards at the "Zvartnots" airport.
Earlier, the Speaker of the RA Parliament Alen Simonyan spoke about the need to withdraw Russian border guards from the airport. Just yesterday afternoon, the Russian side at the Kremlin level stated that it had not received relevant notifications from Yerevan.