Ambassador Tigran Mkrtchyan's interview with Hakob Asatryan, Editor-in-Chief of ORER European Magazine

06 May, 2020

“The discipline and social responsibility of the peoples of the Baltic States prevented the spread of the pandemic”. Ambassador Tigran Mkrtchyan's interview with Hakob Asatryan, Editor-in-Chief of ORER European Magazine

Question: It is known, that the three Baltic states found themselves in a relatively good situation in the fight against the pandemic (COVID-19). How was this struggle carried out and which of the three countries managed it the most effectively? What are the results after about 2 months from the imposed restrictions?

Tigran Mkrtchyan: Following the announcement by the World Health Organization (WHO) of a coronavirus pandemic on March 12, many countries, as well as the Baltic states, considering the spread of the outbreaks of the infection in their territories, began to impose significant restrictions.

Latvia and Estonia were the first to impose restrictions, declaring a state of emergency on March 12 and March 13, respectively, and a few days later, on March 16, Lithuania declared quarantine.

The fight against the spread of coronavirus was carried out first of all by extending border controls and, eventually, by closing borders in general. Moreover, all kinds of educational, cultural and entertainment institutions were closed, outdoor and indoor events were banned, and only food delivery services, grocery stores, and pharmacies remained open, which helped to significantly reduce the spread of the infection. Restrictions were imposed on the provision of public services, shifting to online activities.

In other words, as you can see, almost the same restrictions were applied and almost the same tools were used in many countries. However, I would like to emphasize two factors, due to which daily there are only a few cases of coronavirus infection in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia at the moment.

Firstly, in the case of the imposed restrictions, life has shifted to the digital space, and the success of the Baltic states in this area over the years has greatly contributed to the rapid transformation of existing infrastructure and adaptation to the current situation.

Secondly, I would like to mention the discipline and social responsibility with which the local peoples considered the restrictions, observing the basic rules of the fight against the pandemic. Self-organization and self-restraint were extremely important in reducing the spread of infection here.

At the moment, I can say that as of May 5, only 4 cases of infection were registered in Lithuania (total cases - 1423, of which 697 were cured), in Latvia - no new case were registered (total number of infected - 879, of which 348 recovered), and in Estonia only 8 cases (total number of infected - 1711).

Question: Are there any infected people among our compatriots? What is their health condition?

Tigran Mkrtchyan: There were infected people among Armenians in Estonia - members of one family - who have already recovered and been discharged from the hospital. No other cases of Armenian citizens or Armenians infected with coronavirus have been registered in the Baltic States or at least are unknown to the Embassy.

Question: What is the situation of the local Armenians and how the Embassy interacts with them? Do the local community structures support them?

Tigran Mkrtchyan: In general, from the very first moment of the spread of the pandemic and the introduction of restrictions, the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia has been working in emergency mode, our hotline has been manned around the clock, and, depending on the urgency of the issue, a consular reception is held for our citizens.

As for the local Armenians, they continue their daily activities, and, like everyone else, they feel the damage of the restrictions and the reduction of economic activity. However, the reduction in the spread of the infection and the gradual lifting of restrictions by the authorities inspire hope that in very short time life will return to normal.

There are also citizens of the Republic of Armenia who are here on a temporary basis, mainly students and specialists working through different exchange programs, the number of which, according to our data, does not exceed two dozen in each country. The Armenian Embassy maintains regular contact with them and provides relevant information regarding the situation both in their residence country and in Armenia.

Also, the Armenian Embassy is in constant contact with the community structures, which, if necessary, will certainly provide support to our compatriots who are in need.

Question: What assistance has the Armenian Embassy provided to Armenian citizens living in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia? Are there any Armenians who want to return to Yerevan and have they already been provided with the necessary assistance?

Tigran Mkrtchyan: The main issue that concerns the citizens of the Republic of Armenia is the restoration of air or land communication and the possibility of returning to Armenia. Initially, by the beginning of April, more than a dozen citizens were able to repatriate in coordination with the Embassy, after which the communication has completely stopped.

Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia already plan to reopen mutual borders on May 10-15, as well as flights to several main destinations. We hope that by the end of May, all of our compatriots, who wish to return to Armenia, will be able to take advantage of these opportunities.

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