Mirzoyan: Replacement of military on border with Azerbaijan with border guards being discussed

The deployment of border guards instead of army units on the border with Azerbaijan should be part of the final settlement of the conflict, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said in Yerevan at a joint press conference with his North Macedonia counterpart and OSCE Chairman-in-Office Bujar Osmani, Report informs referring to Sputnik-Armenia.

According to Mirzoyan, it should be understood that the border service in all countries differs from the army units in terms of their tools, nature, even types of weapons.

Mirzoyan believes that the rotation and transfer of protecting borders under the control of border guards, their deployment will significantly reduce the likelihood of new conflicts.

“This idea is not new, it was publicly announced earlier. Now it is being discussed, including within discussions around a peace treaty,” he said.

He noted that even now there are border guards on some sections of the border between the two countries, and experience shows that in these sections the likelihood of clashes is lower compared to other lines where army units are stationed.

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The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Foreign Minister of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani has arrived in Armenia.

Report informs via Armenian media that a meeting between Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Osmani is currently underway in Yerevan. It will be followed by an enlarged meeting.

Osmani is in Armenia as part of a regional trip.