Opposition figure: EU mission collects data in Armenia on where  Azerbaijanis lived during Soviet times

ArmInfo.Reports from Vayots Dzor say that the EU observation mission occasionally visits various  villages in Armenia and specifies where Azerbaijanis lived during the Soviet era, as stated  by former Armenian Ambassador to Poland and opposition figure Edgar Ghazaryan during discussions on 'Guaranteed  Peace or 'Western Azerbaijan' in Yerevan on March 6.

Specifically, the opposition figure stated that they are clarifying  which specific buildings Azerbaijanis lived in, whether these  buildings have been preserved, and what their square footage is. In  this regard, he mentioned that during the Soviet era, apartment  buildings, unlike private ones, were not subject to privatization and  were included in the state housing fund. Since everyone was then a  citizen of the Soviet Union, they had certain rights within this  fund.

"Don't doubt, that if they try to settle Azerbaijanis in, for  example, Jermuk, the EU will very quickly provide them with funds for  the construction of separate residential buildings," he added.

The opposition figure also addressed the topic of this year: the  authorities' intention to close approximately 230 schools, especially  in border areas. Ghazaryan stated in this regard that, according to  his information, new schools are being built in those villages where  Azerbaijanis mostly lived before 1990. "Moreover, schools are being  built in areas where the population is very small," Ghazaryan  concluded.

Recall, on February 20, 2026, the Ministry of Education, Science,  Culture, and Sports of the Republic of Armenia refuted information  circulating on various platforms regarding the supposed closure of  231 schools in Armenia starting in September 2026. The Ministry cited  the large-scale school construction currently underway in the  Republic as clear evidence of this.

It should be added that, according to the 1989 census, there were  84,860 Azerbaijanis living in Armenia.  Moreover, after the  Azerbaijanis left Armenia, the Armenian authorities  provided  compensation for the property they left behind. Therefore, it is  unclear where the Azerbaijani authorities got the figure of 300,000.