Russian border guards officially withdraw from Zvartnots Airport
On Wednesday, Russia officially completed the withdrawal of its border guards from Yerevan's Zvartnots International Airport. This process began months ago at the request of the Armenian authorities. This is a significant change in the long-standing cooperation between the two countries.
For decades, Russian border guards worked alongside their Armenian counterparts. They oversaw passport controls and airport security. However, earlier this year, the Armenian government announced that the Armenian side now has sufficient experience and capabilities to perform this work independently.
The withdrawal process took place under official and peaceful conditions. Representatives of both countries signed relevant documents confirming the transfer of powers. From now on, border control at Zvartnots Airport will be fully carried out by the border guard troops of Armenia's National Security Service.
This move is seen by experts as a sign of changing relations between Armenia and Russia. Recently, Yerevan has been trying to increase its sovereignty and review certain security arrangements with Moscow. This is an important step in the management of the country's borders.
Despite this change, Russian border guards still remain in other parts of Armenia, for example, on the borders with Turkey and Iran. The Zvartnots case is an important event that demonstrates Armenia's desire to independently manage its strategically significant locations.