Armenia 'taking time to develop stance on Kurdish independence drive'

PanARMENIAN.Net - In the wake of Iraqi Kurdistan's vote to declare independence, Armenia – a country with Kurdish minority – appeared to be taking time to develop a formal position, mindful of the regional and global implications, Eurasianet.org said in an article on Tuesday, September 26.

The larger regional states – Iraq, Iran and Turkey – all have strongly opposed the referendum, threatening various sanctions and rattling sabers. The United States also called for the referendum to be delayed; Russia expressed support for both territorial integrity and the peaceful expression of Kurdish self-determination. In the region itself, only Israel expressed support for both the referendum and the establishment of a Kurdish state.

Armenia’s foreign ministry spokesman Tigran Balayan has said that Armenia “was carefully watching the developments,” and that a more concrete position was forthcoming. In the meantime, veteran politician Aram G. Sargsyan was reported to be in Kurdistan as an observer to the vote.

Armenia’s relations with Kurdistan are complex, the article says. According to the 2011 census, there are more than 35,000 Kurds in Armenia, making them the second largest ethnic group.

The Kurdish community now has two representatives in Armenia’s National Assembly: Knyaz Hasanov on behalf of the Kurds and Rustam Mahmudyan on behalf of the Yezidis. A supporter of the referendum, Hasanov said that he believed that Armenia would also support Kurdistan’s independence, pointing to the decision to open an Armenian consulate in Erbil as evidence of such support.