On Wednesday, Russia completed the withdrawal of its border guards from Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan, a move demanded by Armenia earlier this year amid growing tensions between the two countries.
Russian border guards had been stationed at Zvartnots and along Armenia’s borders with Turkey and Iran for decades, reflecting close military ties between Russia and Armenia. In March, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that his government had given Moscow until August 1 to remove its guards from the airport, asserting that Armenia could handle border controls independently.
The Russian Foreign Ministry criticized this decision, warning that it could cause “irreparable damage” to Russian-Armenian relations and jeopardize Armenia’s security and economic development. Despite this, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pashinyan agreed on the withdrawal during a meeting in Moscow in May.
The withdrawal was marked by a farewell ceremony for the few dozen officers of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) at Zvartnots. Edgar Hunanian, the newly appointed commander of Armenian border troops, thanked the officers for their service, stating that Armenia would utilize the “experience and skills” gained during over 32 years of joint service.
“Your often unnoticed but essential work has significantly contributed to the security of both Armenia and Russia,” said Maksim Seleznyov, the Russian charge d’affaires in Yerevan.
In his May meeting with Pashinyan, Putin also agreed to withdraw Russian troops and border guards from Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan. These forces had been deployed at Yerevan’s request during and after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. However, Russian border guards will continue to protect Armenia’s borders with Iran and Turkey.
Russia maintains a military base in Armenia. In March, a senior Russian lawmaker advised against any Armenian demands to end the Russian military presence in the country. While Pashinyan has not indicated plans to remove the base, he has frozen Armenia’s membership in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization and has not ruled out the possibility of seeking European Union membership.
