Armenian Ambassador in Lebanon Urges Armenian Citizens to Avoid Travel to Lebanon

There are no Armenians among the victims of the military operations carried out by Israel in Lebanon. Currently, the Armenian-populated areas of Lebanon are not directly threatened, and therefore there is no need to organize evacuations at this time. This was stated by Vahagn Atabekyan, the Armenian Ambassador to Lebanon, in an interview with Armenpress.

In response to whether there are Armenians or Armenian citizens among the victims due to the recent developments in Lebanon, Vahagn Atabekyan commented, “As a friend, I can say that there are no Armenians among the victims of the recent alarming events in Lebanon.”

The Armenian Embassy in Beirut is in constant contact with local authorities and, if necessary, community organizations to address the issues of Armenian citizens within its jurisdiction appropriately. The areas in Lebanon where Armenians primarily reside are not directly threatened, so, for security reasons, there is currently no perceived need for evacuation.

Overall, no embassy accredited in Lebanon has evacuated its citizens so far; all countries, as a rule, urge their citizens to leave the country using commercial flights. The Armenian embassy in Lebanon is operating under emergency conditions, with consular services functioning at full capacity to meet the needs of Armenian citizens; the hotlines of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs are also operational. Those Armenian citizens who have approached the embassy with invalid passports are provided with a free return certificate.

Taking this opportunity, the ambassador once again urged Armenian citizens to temporarily avoid traveling to Lebanon unless absolutely necessary.