Armenia welcomes Karabakh refugees amidst growing tensions in region

Armenia has set to prepare to receive a new wave of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, as Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan celebrate Baku’s victory over the rebel enclave.

Tensions are escalating in the region, with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan pointing fingers at Russia for the recent events.

As of Sunday evening, 377 forcibly displaced individuals had crossed from Azerbaijan into Armenia, with most of them being women and children. Some refugees took shelter around a Russian peacekeeping base in Eghtsahogh after their village was reportedly shelled by Azerbaijani forces.

In an emotional account, a man from the village of Mets Shen described their hurried departure, leaving behind their possessions and even his three-year-old daughter’s grave. He expressed hope of returning someday.

President Aliyev of Azerbaijan is set to bolster his victory by meeting with President Erdogan in Nakhichevan, where they will inaugurate a new natural gas pipeline and unveil a modernized Azerbaijani military complex. This move underscores Turkey’s significant regional influence, especially in contrast to Russia’s apparent withdrawal from the area.

Prime Minister Pashinyan of Armenia has blamed Russia for the crisis, signaling a strain in the countries’ security pact. Pashinyan stated that the security agreements between the two nations were “insufficient” to protect Armenia, hinting at the need for new alliances. Armenia is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), a Russian-dominated group that had committed to mutual defense but received no assistance from Russia during the recent Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Pashinyan also suggested that Armenia should ratify the treaty establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine war.

However, Pashinyan faces domestic pressure from Nagorno-Karabakh supporters who have been protesting in Yerevan since the ceasefire deal, some expressing dissatisfaction with his shift away from Moscow.

Tensions remain high in the region, with relatives anxiously awaiting news at border crossings and celebrations taking place in Azerbaijani settlements over their government’s victory against the rebels. The situation continues to evolve, with diplomatic and security concerns at the forefront of international attention.