Foreign citizens wishing to visit Artsakh need to obtain permits
YEREVAN, February 9. /ARKA/. Citing security considerations the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Foreign Ministry said it has updated the procedure for the entry of foreign citizens into its territory in the post-war conditions.
According to a statement posted on the ministry's official website, foreign citizens wishing to visit Artsakh must first apply to the Artsakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs to obtain an entry permit. This procedure applies both to those foreign citizens who need an entry visa and to citizens of countries for which a visa-free regime is in effect.
Application information is also shared with the Russian peacekeeping force in a security-sensitive manner.
After the approval of the applications, the foreign citizens are informed about it and can obtain their visas at the permanent representation of Artsakh in Yerevan, Armenia. After that, they can travel to Artsakh.
The Artsakh Foreign Ministry said also that work is underway to improve this procedure. The entry permit will be issued within 3-4 business days. It said sometimes the process can take longer, and a citizen of a foreign state who has submitted an application will be notified about it.
In recent days, representatives of a number of foreign media and international organizations have arrived in Artsakh under this scheme.
On September 27, 2020, Azerbaijani armed forces, backed by Turkey and foreign mercenaries and terrorists, attacked Nagorno-Karabakh along the entire front line using rocket and artillery weapons, heavy armored vehicles, military aircraft and prohibited types of weapons such as cluster bombs and phosphorus weapons.
After 44 days of the war, on November 9, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a statement on the cessation of all hostilities. According to the document, the parties stopped at where they were at that time. The town of Shushi, the districts of Agdam, Kelbajar and Lachin were handed over to Azerbaijan, with the exception of a 5-kilometer corridor connecting Karabakh with Armenia.
A Russian peacekeeping contingent was deployed along the contact line in Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor. Internally displaced persons and refugees are returning to Karabakh and adjacent regions, prisoners of war, hostages and other detained persons and bodies of the dead are being exchanged.--0-
