Lavrov on the Presence of Russian Border Guards at Zvartnots

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated in a press conference that Azerbaijan confirms its readiness to address the peace treaty issue with Armenia based on the trilateral statements made in 2020, during its communications with the Russian Federation. He emphasized that progress in relations between Baku and Yerevan would depend on the extent to which the trilateral agreements are implemented honestly.

In response to another journalist's question, Lavrov said he could not confirm reports that Armenia is discussing the feasibility of deploying Russian border guards at Yerevan's Zvartnots airport. “I cannot confirm these reports, although it fully aligns with the logic of the positions currently defined by the leadership of Armenia — Prime Minister Pashinyan, and the Chairman of the Armenian Parliament and other figures,” stated Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

It is worth noting that on February 27, the President of the National Assembly of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, mentioned that Russian border guards should leave Yerevan's Zvartnots International Airport, adding that the Armenian side would defend the country’s borders itself. Subsequently, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, stated that Moscow had not received any inquiries from Yerevan regarding the withdrawal of Russian border guards from the airport.

On March 1, Artur Hovhannisyan, the secretary of the ruling “Civil Contract” faction in the Armenian Parliament, expressed that his political force is concerned about the presence of Russian border guards, and discussions on this issue are ongoing.