YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS. The substantive talks on expanding the presence of Russian border guards in disputable sections of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border continue, Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergei Kopyrkin told reporters today, asked whether there are concrete agreements over the Armenian caretaker prime minister’s proposal to pull back the Armenian and Azerbaijani forces from Sotk-Khoznavar section of the border and deploy international observers at that section aimed at mitigating the border tension.

“Substantive talks are being held on these issues, these issues are being discussed, including in practical terms. When respective decisions are made, we will be informed about that. You know that Russian border guard points are deployed in different sections of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border which contribute to the situation to stay calm, stable, and it’s very important for the local people to feel more comfortable and safe in this new unusual situation. Yes, discussions are underway over this issue on how to expand that presence. I think everything will be decided based on ensuring Armenia’s security, stability in the border and the interests of the implementation of the agreements, which have been reached at trilateral format”, the Russian diplomat said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan