YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–Director of the Russian Federal Service of Frontier Troops–Colonel-General Konstantin Trotsky–who was on a brief visit to Armenia February 25–held meetings with Armenian President Robert Kocharian–Prime Minister Aram Sargsyan and Minister of National Security Karlos Petrossian.
A number of documen’s were signed–and the estimate of the two states’ expenditures for 2000 was approved.
Petrossian said that the guard of Armenia’s state frontiers will be financed by the two states on a parity basis–and that the amount of financing will remain unchanged.
"The cooperation between the Russian and Armenian Frontier Services has a solid basis and long-term prospects," General Totsky told journalists. According to Totsky–the current problems result from lack of financing and the complicated situation on the Armenian-Turkish and Armenian-Iranian frontiers.
Responding to the question concerning the importance of guarding the CIS frontiers in Armenian territory in the context of the transparency of the Azeri and Georgian frontiers–General Totsky pointed out that Armenia and Russia are strategic partners–and Russian frontier guards will remain in Armenia as long as it is needs.