Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
March 9, 2005, Wednesday
TWO COUNTRIES – ONE BORDER
SOURCE: Krasnaya Zvezda, March 4, 2005, p. 1
by Olg Gorupai
Age-old partnership between Russia and Armenia is still developing.
Our countries interact in the spheres of economy and culture; they
advance military and military-technical cooperation. Here is an
interview with Colonel Vyacheslav Voskanjan, Commander of the Border
Troops of the National Security Service of Armenia, on why the
Republic of Armenia appealed to Russia with the suggestion that they
guard the Armenian borders together, on service of Armenian border
guards and their interaction with Russian counterparts.
>>From our folders:
Vyacheslav Avetisovich Voskanjan was born on September 13, 1957, in
Stepanakert (Nagorno-Karabakh). He finished the Red Banner Supreme
Military Political School of the KGB of the USSR named after
Voroshilov in 1978, and Frunze Academy in 1995. Voskanjan served in
the Border Troops of the Caucasus Border District of the Soviet KGB.
After 1993, he served with structures and troops of the National
Security Service of Armenia. He became commander of the Border Troops
in July 2003.
Question: Armenia is one of the few post-Soviet states that did not
reject help from Russia in defense of its state borders. Have there
been valid reasons for it?
Vyacheslav Voskanjan: Russia and Armenia signed the Treaty “On the
status of Border Troops of the Russian Federation on the territory of
the Republic of Armenia and their functioning…” on September 30,
1992. Acting in the interests of its own security, security of the
Russian Federation, and collective security of CIS countries, Armenia
delegated the powers of protection of its borders with Turkey and
Iran to the Russian Border Troops quartered on its territory at the
time of signing of the treaty. The document defines the structure,
tasks, rights, and procedures of funding of the Russian Border Troops
quartered on the territory of Armenia, and regulate many other
aspects. The signing of the treaty was a logical corollary of the
situation Armenia found itself in when the Soviet Union disintegrated
and sovereign countries appeared in its place, when the situation on
the borders became complicated and Armenia did not have Border Troops
of its own.
Question: When were Border Troops of Armenia formed? Are there any
differences between them and analogous structures in nearby
countries?
Vyacheslav Voskanjan: Border Troops of the Republic of Armenia were
formed on January 28, 1992. Initially, they were an element of the
Defense Ministry. Border Troops were transferred to the National
Security Service in 1993. Generally speaking, their structure is
analogous to that of the Border Troops of the Soviet Union and
Russian Federation – border detachments, commandant’s offices,
outposts, and checkpoints.
Question: What parts of the Armenian state borders are manned by
Russian border guards? How would you appraise relations between
border guards of the two countries?
Vyacheslav Voskanjan: We could not wish for any better relations.
They are based on friendship and mutual assistance. We all share a
common task – security of the Russian Federation and the Republic of
Armenia. It involves maintenance of the state border regime, control
over individuals, transport means, and shipments crossing the state
border, prevention of all and any provocations, and interaction with
foreign colleagues. In Armenia, Russia Gazeta, man the Turkish and a
part of the Iranian part of the border totalling about 400 kilometers
in length, they also man the crossing point at Zvartnots airport in
Yerevan.
We regularly arrange meetings; exchange of information is regular
too…
Question: Who else do Armenian border guards maintain close contacts
in this sphere with? Apart from the Russian Federation, that is.
Vyacheslav Voskanjan: A special emphasis is being made on advancement
of contacts and cooperation on the Armenian-Georgian border.
Everything is done with the interests of the countries and their
national legislations taken into account. Armenian and Georgian
border guards work side by side preventing activities of illegal
armed formations and terrorist organizations, smugglers of arms and
drugs, etc. multilateral interaction between border guards is also
under way within the framework of the CIS Council of Commanders of
Border Troops.
Question: Are there any unsolved problems in the matter of
demarcation and delimitation of the state border with Georgia?
Vyacheslav Voskanjan: Under the protocol of the meeting on August 14,
1995, signed by government delegations of Armenia and Georgia, our
countries agreed to set up a joint panel for delimitation and
demarcation. Four meetings of working groups have taken place so far.
Moot points and conflicts (theft of cattle, illegal felling of trees,
detention of vehicles with consumer goods, etc.) were handled at
these meetings. A visa free regime is operating on the
Armenian-Georgian border.
Question: What parts of the Armenian borders are most problematic
from the point of view of their security?
Vyacheslav Voskanjan: We do not have any serious problems in this
respect. On the other hand, parts of the state border with Azerbaijan
bear watching, but units of the Armenian regular army successfully
handle this particular task.
Question: Where do you train border guards?
Vyacheslav Voskanjan: Officers for our Border Troops are trained at
colleges of the Border Service of the Russian Federal Security
Service. There are also special courses at the Training Center of the
National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia. Teaching staff
there is quite experienced.
There is also a training center for low-level officers.
Question: Every now and then Armenian media outlets run critical
materials on Russian border guards. Dissatisfaction with various
aspects of their activities – from combat training to administrative
functions – is expressed in these articles. Why is that? Does the
Russian-Armenian interaction have enemies?
Vyacheslav Voskanjan: I suspect that these quite infrequent articles
are a result of their authors’ lack of competence or knowledge of the
subject. They do not even come close to understanding difficulties of
the service of Russian border guards thousands of kilometers from
their homes. Sure, some shortcomings do present themselves but I do
not think that they are something to dwell on. I would not pay
attention to articles like that. The way we dismiss the articles and
criticism aimed against us.
Question: What awaits the Armenian-Russian cooperation in the sphere
of border protection?
Vyacheslav Voskanjan: Well, cooperation and interaction should
continue even when Russian border guards have fulfilled their mission
in Armenia and turned the border over to their Armenian opposite
numbers. This interaction is important from the point of view of our
common war on challenges to mankind and from the angle of our
brotherly relations and their advancement.
Question: International terrorism is one of these challenges,
nowadays. Standing in the way of extremists, gunmen, mercenaries,
etc., border guards are expected to contribute too. What is being
done by the Armenian Border Troops in this sphere?
Vyacheslav Voskanjan: Main Directorate of State Border Protection of
the National Security Service and other security structures take an
active part in the war on international terrorism. We are doing what
we can. For example, our specialists designed Infotel system of
automatic monitoring of migration flows at crossing points. The
system is being installed. Crossing points are outfitted with modern
detectors of radioactive materials, drugs, and explosives. Special
gear is used to verify validity of documents. We actively interact
with other CIS countries in all of that.