Russian border guards stop service at crossing point between Armenia, Turkey

YEREVAN (Interfax) — Russian border guards have stopped service at the crossing point between Armenia and Turkey, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.

“Only the Armenian Border Guard Forces carry out border guard service at the crossing point Margara on the Armenian-Turkey state border starting from today,” Pashinyan said on a social networking site.

The crossing point Margara is not functioning due to the closure of the state border between Armenia and Turkey, he said.

“The crossing point was fully refurbished in summer 2022 at the decision of the government of the Republic of Armenia, and permanent service of units of the Border Guard Forces of the Russian Federation began there,” Pashinyan said.

He thanked the Russian border guard forces “for their service carried out on this part of the Armenian-Turkish state border.”

“The transfer of the border crossing point Margara under the command of the Armenian Border Guard Forces means that border control of all persons entering and leaving the Republic of Armenia will be exercised solely by the Armenian Border Guard Forces starting from March 1, 2025 as only the Armenian Border Guard Forces serve on all such points (active and inactive),”Pashinyan said.

Russian border guards stopped service at the crossing point Agarak on the Armenian-Iranian border in January 2025.

Representatives of the Russian Federal Security Service’s border guard service stopped their service at the Yerevan International Airport Zvarnots on August 1, 2024.

Representatives of the Russian Federal Security Service’s border guard service are protecting the Armenian border with Turkey and Iran in collaboration with the border guard forces of the Armenian National Security Service under a 1992 treaty.