We Are Concerned About the Deployment of Russian Border Guards at Zvartnots: Discussions Ongoing, MP of Civil Contract

In a recent statement in the European Parliament, the Prime Minister clearly noted that Armenia is ready to get as close to the EU as the EU is to Armenia. This was stated by Arthur Hovhannisyan, the secretary of the Civil Contract faction, during parliamentary briefings, regarding Armenia's prospects for becoming an EU candidate member.

“Mr. Simonyan's words were in this context. Yes, we are ready to have even warmer relations with the EU, considering the need for new economic markets, the direction of civilizational development, the stabilization of democracy, and also the fact that today, in terms of guaranteeing the security of Armenia's borders, the EU's observation mission holds significant importance. The dynamics at our borders have changed significantly after their deployment,” said Hovhannisyan.

In response to a journalist's question about whether they are concerned about the presence of Russian border guards at Zvartnots Airport, Hovhannisyan replied, “Yes, we are concerned about this issue, just like a large part of our public. This issue is on the agenda of our political team, and discussions are taking place. At this moment, I will not go into the details of the discussions, but I can note that the concerns present in the public are also felt within our political team. I believe what worries our public is not that the number of our border guards is small, but that there are border guards there.”

When asked why the government realized in its sixth year that Russian border guards are problematic at Zvartnots, the MP responded, “Over the past six years, many realities have emerged. Each reality should lead to reasoning, decisions, and actions.”