It wasn’t the State Revenue Committee (SRC) of Armenia that took the visiting Turkish journalists to the Margara checkpoint on the border with Turkey. This was stated by SRC chairman Eduard Hakobyan, speaking with reporters at the National Assembly Wednesday—and referring to the fact that the aforesaid Turkish journalists were taken to the Margara checkpoint, whereas Armenian journalists are not allowed to go there.

“We were informed about the [aforesaid Turkish] journalists’ visit. I am not aware whether Armenian journalists were contacted or not. This is a separate matter that shall be discussed in the [Armenian] government, and we shall respond. I have not received such a request. Our [i.e. the SRC’s] functions at the border checkpoint are limited to the functions of the customs service,” Hakobyan said.

 “In the case of Turkish journalists, we had a corresponding inquiry from the [Armenian] government, and it was organized in an equivalent manner,” Hakobyan added.

And with respect to the possibility of opening the Margara checkpoint, the SRC chief said: “The Margara checkpoint is ready to fully implement its customs function, the entire infrastructure is ready, and we, as the State Revenue Committee, are ready to properly implement those functions. And if you are asking about the possible opening of the [Armenian-Turkish] state border, that is not the function of the SRC.”