1870 Citizens Registered with the Foreign Ministry Express Desire to Return to Armenia, Says Foreign Minister

The return of our citizens to Armenia is one of our functions, as this pandemic has completely changed the logic of ordinary life, not sparing any country or region. This was announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, during a broadcast on Public Television.

He noted that ensuring the return of Armenian citizens is extremely important, emphasizing the need to balance two critical functions: ensuring that the health security system operates without interruptions and ensuring that our citizens remain safe during their return or, if they stay where they are, finding ways to secure their safety.

“According to our data, since March 1, 63,322 citizens have returned to Armenia, and we have 1,870 citizens registered in 47 countries. Initially, we promptly called on our citizens to cease their travels and return to Armenia. The majority responded positively,” he said.

The minister added that in the past week, 440 Armenian citizens returned from Russia via two flights. “We continue our efforts to organize the transport of our compatriots from Russia. Currently, 10 students from Israel should have crossed the border, and 34 students from the USA are on their way, expected to arrive in Tbilisi tomorrow, from where they will proceed to Yerevan,” he noted.

Mnatsakanyan also mentioned that the coronavirus has had a certain impact on the peaceful resolution process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He emphasized that monitoring by the personal representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office has currently ceased. “Yes, violations of the ceasefire have been recorded by Azerbaijan, and we have responded immediately, utilizing direct communication. Unfortunately, we have had three injured individuals, one of whom is a 14-year-old child. We have immediately addressed this issue,” he said.