"All Russian border guards must leave Armenia." Opinion
Russian border guards withdraw from Armenia
“Russian border guards have already left the village of Nerkin Hand in the Syunik region,” reported Robert Ghukasyan, the governor of this southern Armenian region, to journalists.
Russian border troops were stationed in areas bordering Azerbaijan, specifically in the regions of Vayots Dzor, Tavush, Syunik, Gegharkunik, and Ararat, following the 44-day war in 2020. After a meeting between the Armenian prime minister and the Russian president in May this year, it was announced that Pashinyan and Putin had agreed on the withdrawal of Russian border guards.
Political analyst Gurgen Simonyan considers the withdrawal of Russian border guards from an Armenian village in the south of the country “a long-awaited event, but just a small step.”
“Where are they being taken? We know that the main center remains here, from which they can be deployed and stationed anywhere in Armenia at their discretion. I am referring to the 102nd military base. I hope there will be clarifications regarding the military base as well,” the political analyst told JAMnews.
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“Russians were there without a mandate or contract”
Previously, while discussing the deployment of Russian border guards on certain sections of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border after the Karabakh war, the Armenian prime minister emphasized that they were there without “a mandate or a contract.” Later, he mentioned their possible withdrawal from Armenian territories. This was in April, during active discussions about the delimitation and demarcation process of the border with Azerbaijan.
“Russian positions appeared there due to a specific situation, and what is happening now is a significant change in that situation. This should impact all directions. We now have a border here, not a front line. A border is a sign of peace. This means that the border guards of Armenia and Azerbaijan will be able to guard the border independently, cooperating with each other,” Pashinyan emphasized.
After the Pashinyan-Putin meeting at the Kremlin on May 8, Russian president’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov announced that an agreement had been reached on the withdrawal of Russian border guards from some regions of Armenia. However, he mentioned that Russian border troops would continue to serve on the Armenian-Turkish and Armenian-Iranian borders.
The Border Guard Service of the Russian FSB guards Armenia’s state border with Turkey and Iran based on the interstate agreement “On the Status of the Border Troops of the Russian Federation Deployed on the Territory of the Republic of Armenia and the Conditions of Their Activities,” signed by both parties in 1992.
Before the announcement by the governor of Syunik regarding the potential withdrawal of Russian border guards from the village of Nerkin Hand, the villagers had already spoken about it. They told journalists that they sometimes see Russian soldiers at a checkpoint at the village’s entrance, but they no longer monitor the area from their observation post as they used to.
The villagers emphasized that during the four years the Russian border troops were on this territory, several incidents occurred, but they did not intervene or protect the border. They specifically recalled the events of September 2022, when Azerbaijani forces penetrated the sovereign territory of Armenia. At that time, Azerbaijani troops took control of lands and villages.
“Our cemetery is under their control, our church. Didn’t the Russians see what was happening? And they didn’t allow European observers to come here. Why?” questioned Levon Zakaryan, a resident of Nerkin Hand village.
Comment
Political analyst Gurgen Simonyan believes that Russian border guards should withdraw not only from Syunik but also from all other areas where they are stationed:
“The process that started in the Syunik village needs to continue. Their presence or absence is equivalent. They do not contribute to Armenia’s security or the realization of the Armenian people’s rights in any way. Moreover, the 2022 Russian-Azerbaijani strategic partnership declaration contains provisions that are quite dangerous for Armenia.”
Simonyan notes that after the war, there was not even a request from Russia to station its border guards in any regions of Armenia:
“The Russians wanted to, so they came and established themselves in these areas. To withdraw them, the Armenian side just needs to declare its position. It also requires the will of the Russian side. In the absence of such will, we will need to use coercion. That’s it. There are no other steps that Armenia needs to take.”
He suggests that after the withdrawal of Russian border guards, the Armenian Armed Forces, not border guards, should be stationed at these sections of the border. He explains this by saying that these territories are currently “a front line, not a demarcated border.”
According to Simonyan, once the Armenian Armed Forces are stationed here, the EU monitoring mission will begin patrolling this section of the border as well. So far, they have not had access to this area.
On February 13, 2024, during the Azerbaijani army’s “Revenge” operation near the village of Nerkin Hand, Armenia lost four soldiers. Commenting on the border incident, Armenia’s Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan said: “Russian border guards are present in this area, but they could not prevent the incident. EU observers’ access was restricted only at this section of the border. The Armenian authorities are fully informed. They know that the Russian border guards did not allow EU observers to enter Nerkin Hand and will try to resolve this issue.”
Simonyan points out that this village is viewed separately from other Armenian territories “due to the destructive and explosive policies of the Russians.” He emphasizes that there are other dangerous territories:
“And the situation there is no different from Nerkin Hand. Therefore, the same policy can be implemented in other sections of the border. The withdrawal of Russian border guards from all Armenian territories should be coordinated, comprehensive, and swift.”
