At a press conference on March 12, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that the decision of the Armenian authorities to withdraw Russian border guards from Zvartnots International Airport has provoked many different comments and interpretations. "There are fragments in these interpretations that I don't like very much. I will retell the situation as much as possible as it corresponds to reality," the head of the government said. According to him, the Border Troops of Armenia's National Security Service (NSS) addressed a letter to Russia's FSB Border Service, thanking them for their service at Zvartnots airport since Armenia's independence and supporting border security.

Pashinyan announced that Armenia has officially notified the Russian side of its intention to independently carry out border control at Zvartnots International Airport from August 1, 2024. "We only informed about the decision taken. And, as far as I remember, they indicated August 1, 2024," the prime minister said. Pashinyan emphasized that he views the issue as a working one, not a political or geopolitical one.

Moreover, he noted that Armenia continues its policy of diversifying its foreign policy course and security relations. According to the Prime Minister, the priority for the Armenian side remains the peace agenda, signing a peace agreement with Azerbaijan and delimitation of borders based on three principles: "Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize each other's territorial integrity based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration, the Alma-Ata Declaration is the political basis for the delimitation works. No new border will be created between the two countries, but the administrative border that existed in the USSR will be reproduced and enshrined in the Alma-Ata Declaration. Regional communications should be opened respecting the sovereignty and jurisdiction, based on the principle of equality and reciprocity of the countries through which they pass." Pashinyan further pointed out that there has never been and can never be any discussion about the transfer of any village in the Tavush region. "Every time the names of the villages are mentioned in the Azerbaijani press - there have never been villages with such names on the territory of Armenia," the Prime Minister said. According to him, there are different points of view. Still, it is not excluded that the process of delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border will start from the Tavush-Gazakh section. "In the course of the negotiation process, we sometimes had an impression that we could make certain exchanges of territories after the restoration of the borderline, taking into account certain realities, but I see that such opportunities are not great and may carry additional risks. I think that we should take action based on the following logic: we will see where, for example, our communications are outside the de jure borders, and we will reconstruct these communications so that all communications in Armenia go through its territory so that we do not have problems in this sphere," Pashinyan said, adding that shortly he will visit the Tavush region to familiarize himself with the situation on the ground.

When asked whether the withdrawal of complaints against Azerbaijan in international courts is on Armenia's agenda, Pashinyan stated that the issue of mutual withdrawal of complaints to international courts was discussed during the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations and is still under discussion. "Such an issue has been and is being discussed during the negotiations. Our position is as follows: this is an issue that can be discussed at the very end when the terms of the peace treaty are essentially agreed upon, and it is obvious that both sides will be ready to sign it. This is logical because both sides signed the treaty, so why do they (then) continue legal wars against each other? And suppose they do not sign the peace agreement. In that case, it is a factor for the Republic of Armenia, which is also important for the advancement of our agenda (in international courts)," the head of the government noted. Pashinyan does not rule out that Armenia and Azerbaijan will give up interstate claims at the stage of signing the peace treaty. "If we agree on the text of the peace agreement and reach the stage of (its) signing, I do not rule out and even consider it logical to reach such a decision on both sides," the PM added.

At the press conference, he noted that if Armenia's questions before the Collective Security Treaty Organization are not answered, Armenia will withdraw from the CSTO. Commenting on Yerevan's freezing of its participation in the CSTO, the head of the government pointed out that political decisions should not be confused with legal processes: "We have frozen our participation in the CSTO and do not participate in the meetings. We are currently waiting for an answer to only one question - where is the organization's zone of responsibility in Armenia? All the problems started from the moment Yerevan raised this issue." Armenia, according to him, did not create problems with the CSTO, they appeared from the moment Yerevan raised the issue of the military bloc's zone of responsibility. "And we have not received an answer to this question. Moreover, it did not appear out of nowhere. Before that, there were serious discussions, and we received a clear position of the CSTO and the Russian Federation, giving no reason for discrepancies, that Armenia's sovereign territory is a 'red line' for Moscow and the organization," Pashinyan noted. "However, during the Azerbaijani invasion in May 2021, Armenia recorded that the mentioned 'red line' was passed, but the CSTO did not take the steps specified in the organization's Charter. And even then, Yerevan did not raise any issues publicly; they were discussed in the working order," he noted. "That is, it is not that we suddenly woke up and remembered about the CSTO. It was a long process that started as early as 2020 and even earlier," Pashinyan emphasized. "During the Karabakh war in 2020, the CSTO announced its readiness to send peacekeepers to Armenia. But Yerevan had a question why the organization acts as a neutral party if Armenia is a member," he said. Pashinyan further pointed out that if the CSTO answers the question about its zone of responsibility in Armenia and the answer corresponds to Yerevan's ideas, the issues between them will be resolved. "If not, Armenia will leave the organization. I can't say when," Pashinyan concluded, joking that it could happen 'before the New Year.'

Lastly, Pashinyan noted that the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMA) mandate in Armenia may be extended for two years. "Our relations with the European Union are very active. And I hope for the adoption of several decisions shortly, which will be a manifestation of this strong cooperation," the head of the government said. "Among such decisions, he mentioned the launch of negotiations on the liberalization of the visa regime, granting preferential conditions in the European market for the goods produced in Armenia, as well as deepening of relations in the security sphere, in particular, the expansion of opportunities and extension of the mandate of the EU mission in Armenia," he noted. "We have a very broad agenda, and we are ready to expand it," Pashinyan emphasized.