Russian border guards withdraw from Yerevan's Zvartnots airport

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YEREVAN, 31 July. /ARKA/. The deadline Armenia gave Russia to withdraw its border guards from Yerevan’s Zvartnots international airport expires on August 1./pp

Today, representatives of the Russian border guards have handed over to the Armenian side the checkpoint at the airport./pp

Earlier, on 9 May, the Russian President and the Armenian Prime Minister agreed to withdraw Russian servicemen and border guards from Tavush, Syunik, Vayots Dzor, Gegharkunik and Ararat region , all bordering Azerbaijan as well as from Zvartnots airport./pp

However, Russian border guards will remain on the border with Iran and Turkey. Yerevan earlier informed its Russian counterparts that the Armenian side is able to fulfil the functions of state border protection at the airport independently./pp

During the ceremony held at the Zvartnots airport on Wednesday, a relevant protocol was signed by the commander of the Armenian Border Troops Edgar Hunanyan and the head of the Russian Border Guard Directorate in Armenia Roman Golubitsky./pp

The Charge d'Affaires of the Russian Federation in Armenia Maxim Seleznev recalled that for 60 years the Soviet and then Russian and Armenian border guards had been keeping watch at this checkpoint./pp ‘Your not always visible, but very necessary work has made and continues to make a significant contribution to the security of both Armenia and Russia. We can confidently say that the border is secure thanks to you,’ Seleznev said, thanking the border guards for their impeccable work./pp

The Russian border guards were stationed at the Zvartnots airport in accordance with Article 8 of the interstate agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia of 30 September 1992./pp

This agreement defines both the status of the Russian Border Troops on the territory of the Republic of Armenia and the conditions of their functioning.-0-/pp/pp nbsp;/p