Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has emphasized that the service of border guards is one of the most important symbols of peace, stressing that Armenia aims to expand the role of border troops and complete border demarcation with Azerbaijan within a logical timeframe.
Speaking at an event dedicated to the formation day of the Border Troops of Armenia’s National Security Service, Pashinyan noted that for the first time since Armenia’s independence, all border crossing points of the Republic of Armenia are now controlled and staffed by Armenian border guards.
He also highlighted a major development in relations with Azerbaijan: a 12-kilometer section of the Armenia–Azerbaijan border has already been demarcated and delimited, where Armenian border troops are carrying out service.
According to the Prime Minister, this is the only section of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border where representatives of the armed forces of both countries serve without helmets or bulletproof vests, and keep ammunition magazines in their pouches rather than attached to their weapons.
“This became possible thanks to agreements reached between the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan and between the border troops of the two countries,” Pashinyan said, adding that border guards are generally a symbol of peace because where border guards stand, peace usually prevails.
“Our goal is for all sections of Armenia’s borders to fall under the responsibility of border troops. We are moving in that direction,” he stated.
Pashinyan said Armenia will continue and complete the delimitation and demarcation of the border with Azerbaijan in the near future. He also noted that Armenia has an agenda to finalize border demarcation with Georgia, with relevant agreements already reached with Georgian partners.
According to him, once the process is completed, Armenia will be able to focus more confidently on its development agenda within its internationally recognized territory.
The Prime Minister underlined that peace and sovereignty go hand in hand, and reiterated that the government wants the army to gradually serve more from permanent deployment locations, while border protection responsibilities are increasingly transferred to professional border troops.
“We are walking more and more confidently toward full peace,” Pashinyan said, adding that the region is undergoing historic changes and that these developments are clearly positive.
