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YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. There are no Armenians among the victims in Lebanon in the ongoing Israeli attacks targeting Hezbollah, the Armenian Ambassador to Lebanon Vahagn Atabekyan has said.
Furthermore, since the Armenian-populated settlements are not directly in danger there are no plans for organizing evacuations.
“There are no Armenians among the victims as a result of the concerning developments in friendly Lebanon. The Armenian Embassy in Beirut maintains constant contact with local authorities, and if necessary, also with community organizations to duly address issues related to Armenian citizens within its authority,” the Ambassador told Armenpress when asked whether there are ethnic Armenians or Armenian citizens among the victims.
“The settlements of Lebanon where Armenians mostly live are not directly in danger, therefore at this moment there is no need for evacuation due to safety concerns. Overall, no embassy in Lebanon has so far conducted evacuation of its citizens: all countries have called on their citizens to leave the country via commercial flights,” he added.
The Armenian embassy is working in its full capacity and the foreign ministry has opened a hot line. Citizens applying to the embassy with expired passports receive certificate of return free of charge.
“Taking this occasion, I’d like to once again advise Armenian citizens to temporarily avoid non-essential travel to Lebanon,” the Ambassador added.
He said that the Armenian peacekeeping contingent serving as part of the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Lebanon is also safe. “The UN Peacekeepers, including our contingent, with whom the embassy and the military attaché maintain regular contact, are outside the targeted zones, and are conducting their mission in safe conditions.”