Armenia

Mine Ban Policy

Last updated: 23 October 2017

Policy

The Republic of Armenia has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. In a letter to Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor in April 2010, Armenia stated that it “cannot become a member of the Mine Ban Treaty at this moment,” but “supports the Treaty and values the idea of transparency and confidence-building measures.”[1] Armenia has not submitted a voluntary Article 7 transparency report.

In its April 2010 letter, Armenia did not mention consideration of the “possibility of accession,” as it did in a letter in 2009.[2]  The 2010 letter reiterated that “Armenia makes it clear that it cannot sign the Treaty unless Azerbaijan agrees to do so.”[3] Armenia still views mines along the border with Azerbaijan as essential to its defense, and officials have stated that the mines will not be removed until peace is established.[4]

Officials have often said that Armenia cannot join the treaty until the territorial dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh has been solved. According to its 2010 letter, “Armenia believes that once an agreement on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is reached, a complete and safe demining of the areas affected by the conflict will become possible in cooperation with all parties concerned.”[5]

Armenia did not participate as an observer at the 2014 Mine Ban Treaty Review Conference in Maputo, or at the 15th Meeting of States Parties in Santiago in November–December 2016.

It voted in favor of UN General Assembly Resolution 71/34 on the Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction.

Armenia is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.  

Production, transfer, stockpile destruction, use

The disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh is contaminated by landmines and remnants of war from the Nagorno-Karabakh War fought from 1992-1994 between Armenia and Azerbaijan. On 1 September 2017, an Armenian soldier was killed in Nagorno-Karabakh after the explosion of a landmine.[6]

Officials have said that Armenia last used antipersonnel mines in April 1994.[7] In April 2010, Armenia repeated past statements that it has never produced or exported antipersonnel mines.[8] It inherited a stockpile of mines from the Soviet Union, but its size and composition is not known. Armenia stated that stockpile information is sensitive and that “the issue to provide this kind of data is contingent on a similar level of political commitment by other parties in the region to present the same information.”[9]



[1] Letter from Armen Yedigarian, Head, Department of Arms Control and International Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 29 April 2010. 

[2] Letter from Armen Yedigarian, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 9 June 2009.  

[3] Ibid., 29 April 2010. 

[4] Interview with Col. Vostanik Adoyan, Head, Engineering Corps, Minitsry of Defense, Yerevan, 25 February 2004.

[5] Letter from Armen Yedigarian, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 29 April 2010.

[7] Letter from Armen Yedigarian, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 9 June 2009; and email from Arman Akopian, Director for Arms Control and International Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 24 August 2005. See also, Landmine Monitor Report 2005, pp. 658–659. Azerbaijan accused Armenian armed forces of continuing to use antipersonnel mines in 2007 and 2008, but it did not provide any evidence to substantiate the claims. See, Landmine Monitor Report 2009, p. 873. 

[8] Letter from Armen Yedigarian, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 29 April 2010.

[9] Ibid.