PM: Armenia-Belarus relations currently inactive

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that relations between Armenia and Belarus are currently inactive.

"Well, as you know, our relations are not active right now," he responded to a journalist’s question, though he refrained from predicting the possibility of a break in diplomatic ties, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

Tensions escalated after Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko made controversial remarks regarding the outcome of the 2020 Karabakh conflict, which Armenia viewed as a tacit admission of Belarus' support for Azerbaijan. In response, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan accused Lukashenko of providing assistance to Azerbaijan, prompting Yerevan to impose a travel ban on Armenian officials to Belarus as long as Lukashenko remains in power. 

President Lukashenko also said that Pashinyan risks destroying his country because of attempts to get closer to the European Union. 

“He will destroy Armenia, calm him down there ... He must be pacified. We must not allow war in the Caucasus!” Lukashenko emphasized, expressing concern over the possible consequences of the Armenian leader's foreign policy course. 

The president of Belarus noted that the tense situation in the Caucasus requires restrained and balanced decisions rather than actions that could lead to destabilization of the region.

By Naila Huseynova