The issue of withdrawal of Russian border guards from Yerevan's Zvartnots International Airport has been finally resolved for the Armenian side, Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan said on Wednesday.
"For Armenia, this issue has been resolved. I don't think there are any discussions on it," Simonyan told reporters in parliament.
At the same time, he noted that the deadline announced by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for Russian border guards to leave Zvartnots on August 1, 2024 remains in force.
Simonyan noted that there is an attempt to present this process as some kind of violation of the interstate agreement that was concluded to help Armenian border guards. Now, according to him, this is no longer necessary.
On February 27, Alen Simonyan said Yerevan notified Moscow in writing that Russian border guards will be withdrawn from Zvartnots airport on August 1, 2024.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in this regard that "Armenia's border service, particularly at Zvartnots Airport, has already acquired sufficient skills and experience to carry out border service without the help of the Russian side."
Referring to the considerations of who will guard Turkey's border, Alen Simonyan answered: "I have a very strong doubt that if Turkey decides to attack Armenia, the Russian border guards will be able to or will act to protect it," said Simonyan.
There is no village in Armenia and its Tavush Province regarding which the question of handing over to someone is being discussed. Speaker of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, stated this speaking with reporters in the NA Wednesday and referring to the issue of handing over four villages in Tavush Province to Azerbaijan.
"We are now looking for those people who consider it to be the territory of Armenia. I am looking for those people who will come and prove that they are in the territory of Armenia. Armenia can show its territory meter by meter on all maps, from the creation of the Soviet Union to the independence of Armenia. Residents living in Tavush know that Armenia has always been beyond this line. All the authorities of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, Robert Kocharyan knew this. And all of us always saw that road, that piece of land when going to Georgia. And [people] even stopped, pointed, said this is Azerbaijan already," said the Armenian parliament speaker.
According to Simonyan, the Armenian opposition makes another "false start" in this regard and attempts to generate something on it.
"I'm telling in advance: it won't work. No part of the territory of Armenia is subject to negotiation," he said.
