Armenian speaker urges Russian border guards' exit from Zvartnots Airport

The Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, has urged Russian border guards to cease their operations at Zvartnots airport in Yerevan.

Simonyan's statement, as reported by Caliber.Az citing Armenian media, underscores growing tensions regarding the presence of Russian security forces in Armenia and their perceived impact on border security dynamics.

"I did not participate in the discussions on the withdrawal of Russian border guards from Zvartnots airport, but I believe it would be right if they left from there," Simonyan said.

In his opinion, Russian border guards "did not protect, but did everything to make the borders more vulnerable." He added that the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) officers "expelled the Armenian people" from the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and "will expel everyone from Zvartnots" in one more day.

When asked about the dissolution of Russian military bases in Armenia, Alen Simonian replied that there was no need to "fall from one extreme to another."

Commenting on the presence of Russian servicemen in the village of Nerkin Hand on the border with Azerbaijan, where an escalation occurred on February 13, the speaker of the Armenian parliament said that he did not know about the legal basis, but considered it a subject of discussion.

Simonyan's call for the withdrawal of Russian border guards from Zvartnots airport reflects broader concerns within Armenia regarding the role and impact of Russian security forces in the country. The statement highlights tensions over Armenia's security arrangements and underscores the need for transparent dialogue and careful consideration of security policies moving forward.