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The U.S. support for Armenia's efforts to develop its border security capabilities will facilitate the withdrawal of Russian border guards from the Armenian-Turkish and Armenian-Iranian borders, Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan said in the parliament on Friday.

Hovhannisyan stressed that Armenia has always relied on a third country to ensure the security of its borders. “Ideally, every country should be able to control and defend its borders independently,” he noted.

The deputy minister said that the U.S. support is aimed at bolstering Armenia’s capabilities through experience sharing and other means.

According to the Charter on Strategic Partnership signed by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Washington on January 14, the United States has provided $27 million in funding to support Armenia’s efforts to develop its border security capabilities, in collaboration with State’s Export Control and Border Security program and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.