Armenia–Ukraine relations

Ukraine–Armenia relations

Ukraine	Armenia
Diplomatic mission
Embassy of Ukraine, Yerevan	Embassy of Armenia, Kyiv

Ukrainian–Armenian relations are bilateral diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Armenia, which were established on 25 December 1991. Until then, both were member republics of the Soviet Union. Today, the countries are both members of the World Trade Organization, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the United Nations, and the Eastern Partnership initiative of the EU. Currently, Ukraine has the 5th largest Armenian community in the world.^[1] The Embassy of Armenia in Kyiv opened in 1993. The Embassy of Ukraine in Yerevan opened in 1996. The current Ambassador of Armenia to Ukraine is Vladimir Karapetyan. The current Ambassador of Ukraine to Armenia is Ivan Khukhta.

Economic cooperation

The main principles of economic cooperation between Ukraine and Armenia were outlined in the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Ukraine and Armenia, which entered into force on May 26, 1997. Today, Ukraine and Armenia cooperate within the framework of the "Joint Intergovernmental Ukrainian-Armenian Commission on Economic Cooperation". Ukrainian exports to Armenia are metallurgical, chemical, agricultural, food goods and equipment, grain crops, alcoholic beverages, buses, and tires. Armenian exports to Ukraine electrical products, brandy, juices, tomato paste, mineral waters, cigarettes, and agricultural goods.^[2] For 9 months in 2015, the trade turnover between the countries amounted to 94.2 million US dollars, while the trade in goods amounted to 76.7 million dollars.^[3]

Exports from 2017-2020^[2]

Year	Exports from Ukraine to Armenia (millions)	Exports from Armenia to Ukraine (millions)
2020	126.98	26.40
2019	148.46	24.61
2018	152.47	18.25
2017	114.4	10.19

The turnover of goods between Ukraine and Armenia for January-May 2022 amounted to $33.21 million, decreasing by 27.7%. Ukrainian exports to Armenia in the same period amounted to $29.01 million, decreasing by 26.5%. Armenian imports to Ukraine in the same period amounted to $4.1 million, decreasing by 46.4%. The balance of trade in goods and services for the relevant period in Ukraine is positive, at $24.81 million.^[4]

Cultural ties

Lviv is home to the Armenian Catholic Church in Ukraine. Since the Soviet Union captured Lviv, its see remains "vacant". Since 1997, Lviv also became a center of Ukrainian eparchy (diocese) of the Armenian Apostolic Church (Orthodox).^[5]

The city of Armyansk, originally as Ermeni Bazzar, is named after the Crimean Armenian community.

Ambassadors

Ambassadors of Ukraine in Armenia

• Aleksander Bozhko (1996–2001)
• Volodymyr Tyahlo^[6][7] (February 2, 2002 – June 2005)
• Aleksander Bozhko (June 2005 – July 22, 2010)^[8]
• Ivan Khukhta (July 22, 2010 – present)

Ambassadors of Armenia in Ukraine

• Andranik Manukyan (April 26, 2010 – August 2, 2018)^[9][10]
• Tigran Seiranian (December 28, 2018 – June 1, 2021)^[11]
• Vladimir Karapetyan (June 1, 2021 – present)^[12]

State visits

Embassy of Armenia in Kyiv

Guest	Host	Place of visit	Date of visit
President Leonid Kuchma	President Levon Ter-Petrosyan	Yerevan	May 1996
President Levon Ter-Petrosyan	President Leonid Kuchma	Kyiv	July 1997
President Robert Kocharyan	President Leonid Kuchma	Kyiv	March 2001
President Leonid Kuchma	President Robert Kocharyan	Yerevan	October 10, 2002[13]
President Serzh Sargsyan	President Viktor Yushchenko	Kyiv	July 28–29, 2008[14]
President Serzh Sargsyan	President Viktor Yushchenko	Kyiv	February 25, 2010[15]
President Serzh Sargsyan	President Viktor Yanukovych	Kyiv	July 1–2, 2011
President Serzh Sargsyan	President Viktor Yanukovych	Kyiv	July 1–2, 2012

^[16]

Ukrainians in Armenia

Main article: Ukrainians in Armenia

The Ukrainian community in Armenia began to form in the 19th century. As early as 1858, about 150 people were resettled from the territory of Ukraine to the modern territory of Armenia, where the village of Mykolaivka (now Amrakits, Stepanavan district) was founded. The majority of Ukrainians who currently live in Armenia arrived there in the post-WWII period (1945-1990). According to the 2001 census, 1,633 ethnic Ukrainians lived in Armenia by then.

The Yerevan Scientific and Educational Institute, created based on the Yerevan branch of the West Ukrainian National University, operates in Armenia. It is the only Ukrainian higher education institution in the South Caucasus.

Diplomacy

Republic of Armenia Kyiv (Embassy)

Republic of Ukraine Yerevan (Embassy)

Recent events

Throughout the Russo-Ukrainian war from 2014 to 2021 Armenia consistently supported Russia in voting against Ukraine at the United Nations,^[17] in particular voting against United Nations General Assembly Resolution 68/262 on the territorial integrity of Ukraine. In the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Ukraine has consistently supported Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and voted for United Nations General Assembly Resolution 62/243 demanding an "immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of all Armenian forces from all the occupied territories of Azerbaijan" and reaffirming "the inalienable right of the population expelled from the occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan to return to their homes".^[18]

However, following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Armenia ended its support for Russia's positions at the United Nations, and called for dialogue to end the war. On 7 September 2023, Anna Hakobyan, the wife of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife Olena Zelenska in Kyiv, Ukraine.^[19] She had traveled to Kyiv at the invitation of the First Lady of Ukraine to participate in the "Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen."^[19] Hakobyan personally handed over 1,000+ smartphones, tablets and laptops for primary schoolchildren at the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in Kyiv.^[20] This was Armenia's first delivery of humanitarian aid for Ukraine since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started in February 2022.^[20] On 1 June 2023, during an interview, Pashinyan had stated, "Armenia is not an ally of Russia in the war in Ukraine."^[21]

In October 2023, Armenia participated in a multilateral peace forum, as part of Ukraine's Peace Formula, hosted in Malta. Armen Grigoryan, head of the Security Council of Armenia met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.^[22]

In June 2024, Armenian Ambassador to Ukraine Vladimir Karapetyan and Tigran Ter-Margaryan, the head of the Nor Nork District of Yerevan visited the site of Russian war crimes Bucha and condemned Russian aggression in their speeches. In response, Russia sent a protest note to Armenia and recalled their ambassador.^[23]

On 15 June 2024, Armen Grigoryan, head of the Security Council of Armenia, participated in the June 2024 Ukraine peace summit in Lucerne, Switzerland.^[22]

See also

• Armenia–Russia relations
• Armenians in Ukraine
• Foreign relations of Armenia
• Foreign relations of Ukraine
• Ukrainians in Armenia

References

1. "Всеукраїнський перепис населення 2001 | English version | Results | General results of the census | National composition of population". www.ukrcensus.gov.ua. Archived from the original on 6 July 2007. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
2. "Двосторонні відносини". ukraine.mfa.am (in Armenian). Retrieved 2022-09-30.
3. "Торгово-экономические отношения между Украиной и Арменией - Посольство Украины в Республике Армения". Archived from the original on 2015-10-11. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
4. "Посольство України в Республіці Вірменія - Політичні відносини між Україною та Вірменією". armenia.mfa.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2022-10-09.
5. "Миротворец пополнился новым другом Путина: в базу попал Рубен Варданян | Українські Новини".
6. "Харьковская область : Тягло Владимир Николаевич". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
7. "Ukraine Ambassador's First Meeting with Robert Kocharyan".
8. Александр Божко - Чрезвычайный и Полномочный Посол Украины в РА с 1996 по 2001 год.В июне 2005 года Чрезвычайным и Полномочным Послом Украины в РА был назначен Александр Божко.
9. "Հայաստանի Հանրապետության արտաքին գործերի նախարարություն".
10. "Armenian Ambassador to Ukraine Andranik Manukyan Resigns". en.aravot.am.
11. "Armenia appoints Tigran Seiranian new Ambassador to Ukraine". armenpress.am. 28 December 2018.
12. "Vladimir Karapetyan to replace Tigran Seiranian as Armenia's Ambassador to Ukraine".
13. "5/10/15: Kuchma talks "the first step", Yeltsin visits Armenia". mediamax.am.
14. "Working visit of President Serzh Sargsyan to Yalta - Foreign visits - Updates - The President of the Republic of Armenia". www.president.am.
15. "President Sargsyan participated in Kiev in inaugural ceremony of the President-elect of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich - Foreign visits - Updates - The President of the Republic of Armenia". www.president.am.
16. "Bilateral Relations".
17. Nazaretyan, Hovhannes (2023-03-23). "What Armenia's UN Votes Tell Us About Its Foreign Policy". EVN Report. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
18. "Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 14 March 2008 – The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan". United Nations. 14 March 2008. A/RES/62/243. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
19. "Pashinyan's wife's visit to Ukraine: who she met and what she discussed". 7 September 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
20. "Armenia sends Ukraine first assistance since start of war – digital devices for schools". Ukrainska Pravda. 7 September 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
21. "Pashinian Says Armenia Is Not Russia's Ally In Moscow's War With Ukraine". Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. 2 June 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
22. Ռ/Կ, «Ազատություն» (June 14, 2024). "Armenia To Join Swiss Summit On Ukraine". «Ազատ Եվրոպա/Ազատություն» Ռադիոկայան – via www.azatutyun.am.
23. "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2024-10-11.