MP Vahagn Alexanyan from the ruling Civil Contract faction addressed circulating reports about the possible withdrawal of Russian border guards from the Akhuryan checkpoint and the transfer of control to Armenian authorities, stating that there is currently no official confirmation of such developments, according to 1lurer.am .
“If necessary, that step will be taken. But you know that we are trying to gradually establish full border control along the entire perimeter of Armenia’s borders. Our goal is to conduct this oversight ourselves, while expressing our gratitude to Russia’s relevant services for their past contributions. This process began with the control at Zvartnots Airport,” he noted.
Alexanyan emphasized that major steps had already been taken along the border with Iran, and efforts are ongoing to expand and enhance Armenia’s own capabilities.
Regarding the Armenian-Turkish border and the potential withdrawal of Russian forces there, Alexanyan stated that he had no information confirming such plans.
“I can’t say whether anything specific is happening in that section, but if so, there will be an appropriate announcement. Any country’s vision is naturally to control its own borders and customs points, and we are no exception. We aim for the same. I can’t provide details at this stage, as I don’t currently have data regarding the checkpoint in question,” he added.
Commenting on the TRIPP project, Alexanyan shared that under a new border model involving a "front office – back office" system, border control may eventually become fully automated, according to Aurotanews.am.
“There will be front and back offices. In some cases, the front office may not have any personnel at all — only scanners.
While on a recent delegation visit to NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly in the U.S., we saw an airport where you simply scan your ID, then your face, and the device handles everything a person would normally do.
The same goes for cargo — scanning systems are widely used worldwide. There might be such an option here too, with robots or machines on-site without any nationality. It’s not a concern but rather progress we should embrace,” he explained.
Alexanyan stressed that such automated systems — involving biometric data and document scanning — are long established at international border crossings, and Armenia should aim to adopt similar technological advancements.
Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently signed a joint document in Washington under the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) initiative. The document outlines the operational framework of the TRIPP initiative, emphasizing that it does not create legal obligations for either Armenia or the U.S.
