Belarus MP: Armenians on path of losing sovereignty

The protest in front of the Belarusian Embassy in Armenia is a sign that Armenians are on the path to losing sovereignty and facing a demographic catastrophe.

This statement was made by Oleg Romanov, a member of the House of Representatives (the lower house of parliament) of the National Assembly of Belarus and Chairman of the "Belaya Rus" party, in a comment to a Belarus state TV channel, Caliber.Az reports, citing Belarus news sources.

"This is the path of deindustrialization, the path of losing sovereignty, and the path of demographic catastrophe, as under the current conditions, Armenian society is dispersing, and Armenia is losing its demographic potential," he emphasized.

On August 21, a protest took place in front of the Belarusian Embassy in Armenia, during which demonstrators threw tomatoes, eggs, and potatoes at the embassy building.

Following this, Armenia's Chargé d'Affaires in Minsk, Narek Tiraturyan, was summoned to the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he was informed of the "clearly insufficient measures taken by Armenian law enforcement agencies to prevent this."

Armenia is currently grappling with significant internal challenges, including political instability following its defeat in the 2020 Karabakh war, which has led to widespread public dissatisfaction and frequent protests against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government. Pashinyan's government has been under significant pressure since then. Political opposition groups have staged numerous protests against Pashinyan's administration, accusing it of mishandling the war and negotiating a ceasefire that was unfavourable to Armenia. These protests have sometimes led to clashes with police and have contributed to a tense political environment.

The country's economy is under strain due to war-related losses, inflation, high unemployment. Demographically, Armenia faces a crisis with declining birth rates and high emigration, particularly among young people, which threatens future growth. Social discontent is fueled by distrust in government, corruption, and poor governance. Together, these issues contribute to Armenia's complex and precarious situation.