Mine ban policy overview

Policy

The Republic of Armenia has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. In a letter to the 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 yet submitted a voluntary Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report, although Azerbaijan did so in November 2008.

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 voted in favor of the annual pro-ban UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 65/48 on 8 December 2010.

Armenia is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons. 

Officials have said that Armenia last used antipersonnel mines in April 1994.[6] In April 2010, Armenia repeated past statements that it has never produced or exported antipersonnel mines.[7]  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.”[8]