the dispute over the break-away Nagorno-Karabakh region and the Armenian military occupation of surrounding lands in Azerbaijan remains the primary focus of regional instabilityresidents have evacuated the former Soviet-era small ethnic enclaves in Armenia and AzerbaijanTurkish authorities have complained that blasting from quarries in Armenia might be damaging the medieval ruins of Ani, on the other side of the Arpacay valleyin 2009, Swiss mediators facilitated an accord reestablishing diplomatic ties between Armenia and Turkey, but neither side has ratified the agreement and the rapprochement effort has falteredlocal border forces struggle to control the illegal transit of goods and people across the porous, undemarcated Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Georgian bordersethnic Armenian groups in the Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy from the Georgian Government
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
Refugees (country of origin): 14,680 (Syria - ethnic Armenians) (2017)
Stateless persons: 773 (2017)
Trafficking in Persons
Illicit Drugs
illicit cultivation of small amount of cannabis for domestic consumption; minor transit point for illicit drugs - mostly opium and hashish - moving from Southwest Asia to Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe
