Armenia says it no longer needs Russian border guards at Yerevan airport - TASS

"The Russian side was informed about this initiative from the Armenian side," TASS cited the foreign minister as saying. "From the very beginning, the presence of the Russian side at Zvartnots airport was planned as support for the young independent Armenia.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said his country no longer needs Russian border guards at Yerevan airport, the TASS news agency reported on Thursday. Ties between Armenia, traditionally a close ally of Moscow and host to various Russian military facilities, are strained after Azerbaijan retook the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh in September last year despite the presence there of Russian peacekeepers.

That prompted a mass exodus of the area's ethnic Armenian population to Armenia. "The Russian side was informed about this initiative from the Armenian side," TASS cited the foreign minister as saying.

"From the very beginning, the presence of the Russian side at Zvartnots airport was planned as support for the young independent Armenia. Now we believe that Armenia is capable of carrying out border services at Zvartnots airport." He was also quoted as saying that Armenia had been grateful for Moscow's support.