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 Armenia |  Saudi Arabia |
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Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Saudi Arabia were formalized on 25 November 2023. However, the relationship between the two countries has witnessed significant warming since the 2010s, possibly due to common opposition to increasing Turkish influence.[ citation needed ]
Due to the history of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in particular, the First Nagorno-Karabakh War that ended in 1994, Saudi Arabia and Armenia had no formal relations as Saudi Arabia has backed Azerbaijan's position in Nagorno-Karabakh. [1]
However, since the rise of Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and increasing hostility between Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the latter having poor relations with Armenia, the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Armenia has experienced a new level of improvement. Both Saudi Arabia and Armenia share a common sentiment on Turkish expansionism under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as a threat to these nations, with Saudi Arabia recently launching an anti-Turkish boycott, started in 2019 and escalated since due to anti-Saudi remarks by the Turkish government; while Armenia has disputes with Turkey over the Armenian genocide and its alliance with Azerbaijan. [2] [3]
In 2019, Saudi Arabia agreed to sponsor a final solution to acknowledge the Armenian genocide in the United States Congress. Saudi Ambassador to the US Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, in her statement, condemned Turkey for its hypocrisies and refusal to acknowledge the genocide. [4] Saudi Arabian ambassador in Lebanon had also paid a visit to Armenian Genocide memorial to demonstrate Saudi solidarity to Armenia. [5]
In September 2018, despite the two countries not having established official relations, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Saudi King Salman congratulated Armenia on its independence day, which was considered as a breakthrough. [6] On October 26, 2021, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on a visit described by the Armenian presidency as historic, the first of its kind for the leaders of the two countries. [7] The President participated in the Future Investment Initiative forum, where he sat next to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. [8]
In addition, during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, Saudi Arabia, alongside the United Arab Emirates, was thought to be secretly backing Armenia against Azerbaijan [ citation needed ]. Saudi channel Al Arabiya hosted a special speech delivered by Armenian President Armen Sargsyan condemning Turkey and Azerbaijan and urged international community to prevent Turkey and Azerbaijan from intervening in the conflict together. [9]
On the other hand, Saudi Arabia has sought to refrain from making direct support for Armenia, instead urging two parties (Armenia and Azerbaijan) to solve the problem, largely due to Saudi Arabia seeing Azerbaijan as a potential partner against Iran even though Saudi Arabia is increasingly hostile to Azerbaijan's ally Turkey. [10] [11]
Armenia and Saudi Arabia officially established diplomatic relations on 25 November 2023, during a signing ceremony held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. [12]
Historically, Saudi Arabia had backed Turkey over the Armenian genocide and was one of the few countries in the world to not acknowledge the independence of Armenia; Saudi Arabia also sided with Azerbaijan, the main ally of Turkey, over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. [13] [14] However, increasing tensions between Saudi Arabia and Turkey have resulted in Saudi Arabia slowly paying attention to the Armenian genocide, with government-run newspapers starting to mention the Armenian genocide, and anti-Turkish boycotts on the rise in the Saudi Kingdom as well. [15] [16] [17]
In April 2019, Saudi Arabia supported an American Congressional resolution to recognize the Armenian genocide. [18] The Saudi Arabian ambassador in Lebanon had also paid a visit to the Armenian Genocide Memorial to demonstrate Saudi solidarity to Armenia. [19] During the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Saudi Arabia had called for a boycott of Turkish goods after Turkish president Erdoğan blamed Saudi Arabia for the tensions in the Caucasus and the Middle East. [17]
On the other hand, however, Saudi Arabia also needs to have leverage on relations with Azerbaijan, as Saudi Arabia has seen Azerbaijan as a potential place to destabilize Iran, an ally of Armenia but also Turkey and Saudi Arabia's adversary, thus Saudi Arabia takes its action carefully, although Saudi opposition to Turkey has soared. [20]
| N | Date | Position | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17–18 April 2024 | Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan | Official [21] |
Since its independence, Armenia has maintained a policy of trying to have positive and friendly relations with Iran, Russia, and the West, including the United States and the European Union. It has full membership status in a number of international organizations, such as the Council of Europe and the Eurasian Economic Union, and observer status, etc. in some others. However, the dispute over the Armenian genocide of 1915 and the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have created tense relations with two of its immediate neighbors, Azerbaijan and Turkey.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was an ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians until 2023, and seven surrounding districts, inhabited mostly by Azerbaijanis until their expulsion during the 1990s. The Nagorno-Karabakh region was entirely claimed by and partially controlled by the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, but was recognized internationally as part of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan gradually re-established control over Nagorno-Karabakh region and the seven surrounding districts.
The Republic of Artsakh was a republic with limited recognition in the South Caucasus region. The Republic of Artsakh controlled most of the territory of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. It was recognized only by three other non-UN member states, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria. The rest of the international community recognized Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan. In November 2012, a member of Uruguay's foreign relations committee stated that his country could recognize Nagorno-Karabakh's independence. In 2012, Armenia and Tuvalu established diplomatic relations, which led to speculation of possible recognition of Artsakh by Tuvalu. In October 2012, the Australian state of New South Wales recognized Nagorno-Karabakh. In September 2014, the Basque Parliament in Spain adopted a motion supporting Artsakh's right to self-determination and in November 2014, the Parliament of Navarre, also in Spain, issued a statement supporting Artsakh's inclusion in taking part in settlement negotiations.
Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey are officially non-existent and have historically been hostile. Whilst Turkey recognised Armenia shortly after the latter proclaimed independence in September 1991, the two countries have failed to establish diplomatic relations. In 1993, Turkey reacted to the war in Nagorno-Karabakh by closing its border with Armenia out of support for Azerbaijan.
Relations have always been strong between Azerbaijan and Turkey, the only two predominantly Turkic countries located west of the Caspian Sea. Former Azerbaijani president Heydar Aliyev often described the two as being "one nation, two states."
Armenian genocide recognition is the formal acceptance that the systematic massacres and forced deportation of Armenians committed by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923, during and after the First World War, constituted genocide.
Foreign relations exist between Armenia and Egypt. Egypt was one of the first countries in the Arab world which recognized the independent Armenia in 1991. In March 1992, the diplomatic relations were established between the two countries. In May 1992, the first diplomatic mission of Armenia in the Arab East was inaugurated in Cairo. Egypt has an embassy in Yerevan.
Russia–Saudi Arabia relations are the bilateral relations between the Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The two countries are referred to as the two petroleum superpowers and account for about a quarter of the world's crude oil production between them.
Canadian–Turkish relations are foreign relations between Canada and Turkey. Both countries are members of the G20, NATO, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, United Nations and the World Trade Organization.
Saudi Arabia and Turkey relations have long fluctuated between cooperation and alliance to enmity and distrust. Since the 19th century, the two nations have always had a complicated relationship. While Turkey and Saudi Arabia are major economic partners, the two have a tense political relationship, deemed from the historic enmity.
Turkey and the United Arab Emirates share extensive cultural, military and economic ties, but relations have substantially deteriorated since Arab Spring, and later started to recover in the recent years.
Armenian–Syrian relations are foreign relations between Armenia and Syria. Armenia has an embassy in Damascus and a consulate general in Aleppo. In 1997, Syria opened an embassy in Yerevan. Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa visited Armenia in March 1992.
The State of Israel and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have never had formal diplomatic relations. In 1947, Saudi Arabia voted against the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, and currently does not recognize Israeli sovereignty. However, as of 2023, bilateral negotiations towards Israeli–Saudi normalization are ongoing, with the United States serving as the two sides' mediator.
Saudi Arabia–Syria relations refer to bilateral and economic relations between Saudi Arabia and the Syrian Arab Republic. Diplomatic ties between these two countries of the Middle East have long been strained by the major events in the region. Saudi Arabia has an embassy in Damascus, and Syria has an embassy in Riyadh. Both countries are members of the Arab League and share close cultural ties.
The Zurich Protocols refer to two bilateral protocols signed in 2009 by Armenia and Turkey that envisioned starting the process of normalizing relations between the two countries. The Protocols included provisions for the establishment of formal diplomatic relations, the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border, and the establishment of a joint historical commission on the Armenian genocide issue. The agreement, which later proved to be ineffectual, had been brokered by the United States, Russia and France.
Azerbaijan–Saudi Arabia relations are the bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia.
The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding occupied territories. It was a major escalation of an unresolved conflict over the region, involving Azerbaijan, Armenia and the self-declared Armenian breakaway state of Artsakh. The war lasted for 44 days and resulted in Azerbaijani victory, with the defeat igniting anti-government protests in Armenia. Post-war skirmishes continued in the region, including substantial clashes in 2022.
Armenia–United Arab Emirates relations are the diplomatic relations between Armenia and the United Arab Emirates. Official relations exist between both nations since 1998. Armenia has an embassy in Abu Dhabi and a consulate in Dubai. The United Arab Emirates has embassy in Yerevan.
The following is list of the official reactions to the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War.
Because of the geography, history, and sensitivities of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, accusations, allegations, and statements have been made of involvement by third-party and international actors during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, including in media reports. Azerbaijan has been accused of employing Syrian mercenaries during the war, including reports by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). There have also been allegations of Kurdish militia from Syria and Iraq fighting on the Armenian side, and although some third-party sources had confirmed it, some publications had considered these claims "dubious". During the war, ethnic Armenian volunteers from the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America fought on Armenian side. Both sides have denied employing mercenaries in the war, but the OHCHR had stated that there were reports about Syrian fighters motivated primarily by private gain fighting on Azerbaijan's side recruited with Turkey's assistance and foreign nationals fighting on Armenian side with motivation being investigated, calling for withdrawal of any mercenaries and related actors from Nagorno-Karabakh.
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