On August 21, protesters in Yerevan, Armenia, threw eggs, tomatoes, and potatoes at the Belarusian Embassy in response to remarks made by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko that were perceived as mocking Armenia’s political leadership. The incident reflects escalating tensions between Armenia and Belarus, which have been brewing since Armenia accused Belarus of meddling in its internal affairs regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The protesters, angry over Lukashenko’s recent comments on Russian state television, also called on the Armenian government to expel Belarusian diplomats from the country. In his remarks, Lukashenko questioned Armenia’s efforts to strengthen ties with the West and implied that Armenia was dependent on Belarus, saying, “Who needs the Armenians besides us? No one needs them.”
Ruben Mehrabian, an Armenian political commentator and one of the demonstrators outside the embassy, responded to Lukashenko’s comments, stating, “You don’t decide who needs the Armenians. Thank God, we don’t need you and you don’t need us either.”
Following the protest, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry summoned Armenia’s charge d’affaires in Minsk, condemning the protest as an “act of vandalism” and demanding that Armenian authorities hold those responsible accountable.
The diplomatic spat between the two countries has its roots in Armenia’s accusations that Belarus supported Azerbaijan’s military actions during the 2023 conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia lost control of the region after Azerbaijan launched a successful offensive, a situation exacerbated by what many Armenians viewed as the inaction of Russian peacekeeping forces stationed in the area.
This incident has further strained Armenia’s relations with the Russian-led Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), of which both Armenia and Belarus are members. The growing rift highlights the complexities within these alliances and the shifting geopolitical dynamics in the region.
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