During a meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 8, an agreement was reached to alter the management of Armenia's borders.
According to the Armenian government’s press service, starting from January 1, 2025, Armenia’s National Security Service border troops will take over the responsibility of guarding the state borders with Iran and Turkey.
A key aspect of the agreement is the transfer of full control of the checkpoint on the Armenian-Iranian border to Armenian border guards. This decision marks the end of a long period during which this checkpoint had been guarded by Russian border troops since Armenia gained independence.
Pashinyan expressed his gratitude to Putin for the decades-long service of Russian border guards at the Armenian-Iranian border.
The meeting also covered other aspects of bilateral relations. Pashinyan presented details of Armenia's government program, "Crossroads of Peace," and raised concerns regarding certain statements made by Russian officials on regional issues.
Reports indicate that the two sides reached several agreements in the energy, education, and humanitarian sectors.
These changes come during a challenging period in Armenian-Russian relations. Previously, decisions were made to withdraw Russian border guards from Zvartnots Airport and Russian military personnel from the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
