Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Ceyhun Bayramov stated that Ruben Vardanyan, the state minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, was compelled to leave the unrecognized republic. In Baku, he was described as an alien element by officials.
Bayramov argued that Vardanyan’s activities are criminal and risky in nature, and he urged a quick exit for the sake of everyone, stressing that the local population bears the immediate burden when this happens. The remarks were made during a joint press conference with Russia’s Sergey Lavrov (TASS excerpt).
The Azerbaijani minister warned that Vardanyan’s actions hinder reintegration efforts and act as a destabilizing influence that could affect the broader region.
Bayramov also noted that before Vardanyan appeared in Karabakh, there were already constructive contacts and projects in motion. He called on all interested parties to promote the reintegration of the Armenian population and signaled Baku’s readiness to take steps in that direction.
Lavrov’s response
Lavrov clarified that Vardanyan, who renounced his Russian citizenship, has no ties to the Russian Federation. He pointed out that a presidential decree was issued at Vardanyan’s request, granting him citizenship status changes, and affirmed that Russia will not pursue any lawsuits over his decision to head to Karabakh and engage in political life.
According to Lavrov, this matter is unrelated to Moscow, and Russia will not be involved in legal actions regarding Vardanyan’s career moves.
How Vardanyan reached Karabakh
Amid renewed clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Vardanyan moved to Nagorno-Karabakh in September and chose to relinquish his Russian passport. He also holds Armenian citizenship, having been born in Yerevan. On December 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree terminating his Russian citizenship.
On November 4, Nagorno-Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan named Vardanyan as the Minister of State. In this role, he coordinated the work of the health, justice, foreign affairs, regional administration and infrastructure, urban development, agriculture, education, science, culture and sports, social development and migration, finance, and economy ministries.
The post of state minister for Nagorno-Karabakh was created in 2017 following a constitutional referendum. Vardanyan chairs the investment firm Vardanyan, Broitman and Partners, and co-founded the RVVZ Foundation family fund and the Moscow School of Management Skolkovo. He ranked 116th among Russia’s wealthiest businessmen in 2021, with Forbes estimating his fortune at about $1 billion.
Vardanyan’s career began with the investment firm Troika Dialog, founded in 1991 with American partner Peter Derby. Troika Dialog was later sold to Sberbank for $1.4 billion in 2011.
New flashpoints
On December 14, Armenia appealed to the International Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights over the blockade of the Lachin corridor, a six-kilometer road linking Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh, which unidentified Azerbaijani actors are accused of blocking.
Following the Second Karabakh War, a Russian peacekeeping force was deployed to guard the Lachin corridor. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan directly blamed Russia for the route’s closure, saying peacekeepers have not fulfilled their obligations to monitor the corridor. He also urged the United Nations, OSCE, or the OSCE Minsk Group to dispatch observation missions to Nagorno-Karabakh.