ArmInfo.On the morning of September 4, in front of the building of the National Assembly of Armenia, an action of citizens wishing to return to Russia started. Some protesters note that they have families left in Russia with whom they have been unable to reunite for several months due to closed borders.
A number of protesters complained that in Armenia they have to live with the families of their relatives, while on Russian territory they have their own housing, as well as the opportunity to earn money. For example, one of the protesters said that she arrived in Armenia in early March for her sister's funeral, and after the introduction of the state of emergency and the closure of the borders, she cannot return. As an alternative to charter flights, the protesters offer to give them the opportunity to travel to Russia by land. According to them, they have been holding their protest actions since August 12, but they have not yet received a clear answer. For example, Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan previously informed them that negotiations were underway in this direction, but they were not provided with more specific information.
Meanwhile, the head of the "Enlightened Armenia" faction, Edmon Marukyan, noted in an interview with journalists that the problem of citizens wishing to return from Russia to Armenia by land, on their own vehicles, also remains unresolved. The Georgian side offers citizens to use the bus, and to deliver the cars to the territory of Armenia by auto transporter. For some, however, the cost of an auto transporter was prohibitive. Marukyan noted that the currently discussed legislative initiatives with the aim of introducing quarantine in Armenia after the state of emergency are somewhat blurred, which may lead to the continuation of the closure of the borders. "I hope that during quarantine for RA citizens the restrictive measures will be somewhat relaxed and they will be able to leave the territory of Armenia," he said, adding that quarantine restrictions must comply with the Constitution, and it would be advisable not to spread them throughout the republic. Marukyan also recalled that citizens of the Russian Federation are allowed to enter Armenia if they have a negative test for coronavirus.