Armenian Consulate in Yekaterinburg Closed

The Armenian consulate in Yekaterinburg has been closed. This follows a message posted on the Republic's "Consulate in Yekaterinburg" WhatsApp group. The closure of operations was preceded by the dismissal of the country’s honorary consul in Yekaterinburg, Narek Spartakyan, who had supported the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC).

“Dear citizens, due to the suspension of the status of the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Armenia in Yekaterinburg, we regret to inform you that the office of the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Armenia in Yekaterinburg has ceased its activities. Over the past seven years, more than 57,000 citizens have contacted us,” the message states.

A similar announcement was also released on the “Armenians of Chelyabinsk Region” Telegram channel, advising that all inquiries should henceforth be directed to other Armenian consular offices in Russia. The message was published on August 11, but the media has not reported on the closure of the consulate.

Narek Spartakyan, the honorary consul of Armenia in Yekaterinburg, was dismissed from his position at the beginning of August. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia has not officially stated the reason for his dismissal; however, many suspect that the resignation is related to his stance on the situation surrounding the church and businessman Samvel Karapetyan.