Armenia may consider withdrawing Russian border guards on the border with Türkiye if Ankara and Yerevan reach a mutual level of trust, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said Wednesday.
“If an active, open border between Armenia and Türkiye is established, grounded in mutual trust, then we can reflect on and engage in discussions regarding this matter,” Mirzoyan told reporters Wednesday, addressing questions about the potential reduction of Russian border guards along the Armenian-Turkish border.
Mirzoyan noted that Russian border guards were initially stationed at Zvartnots Airport and along the border with Iran to assist Armenia until the country could establish the necessary institutions and expertise to manage these areas independently.
Over time, Armenia expressed gratitude to the Russian border guards and took over responsibilities at Zvartnots and the Armenian-Iranian border, he said, as he pointed to favorable relations with Tehran:
“This reflects, on one hand, the development of our capabilities, and on the other, I reiterate, the strong level of trust between the two nations, Armenia and Iran,” Mirzoyan said.
He noted that there were currently no discussions to withdraw troops from the 102nd Russian military base in Armenia.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Türkiye was among the first countries to recognize Armenia’s independence on Sept. 21, 1991. But in 1993, Türkiye closed its border and cut ties after Armenia’s occupation of Karabakh. Following the 2020 Karabakh war, which saw Azerbaijan regain territory, Turkish-Armenian relations entered a new phase, and in December 2021, both countries appointed special representatives to hold talks for the normalization process.
Türkiye’s broader ties with Armenia still hinge on Azerbaijan, which itself is considering peace with the neighbor it has been fighting since the collapse of the Soviet Union.