The U.S. Department of State has included Armenia in the list of safe countries to travel to. At the same time, the Department has warned its citizens to refrain from visiting Artsakh because of the conflict taking place there. The new security system for other countries for tourism is available on the website of the State Department.
All the countries of the world have been divided into 4 groups according to their security degree. The countries having level 1 security degree “exercise normal precautions”, level 2 “exercise increased caution”. In case of level 3, the tourists are advised to reconsider their travel and not to travel at all to the countries within the 4th level-group.
The division is conditional and bears an advisory and not a compulsory character. Armenia has been included in the 1st level countries in line with European countries such as Austria Canada, Switzerland, Scandinavian and Eastern European countries, all post-Soviet countries (except for Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Russia). Within the list of the second category which presupposes heightened risks to safety and security European countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, and France are included. Azerbaijan is included in the same list, Artsakh territory encompassed (Artsakh is included in Azerbaijan’s territory on the map, it is not viewed as a separate unit).
Russia has appeared in the 3rd category, inasmuch as the danger of terrorism remains present in that country, U.S. citizens are often subjected to various persecutions. Turkey, Pakistan, Venezuela, Cuba and other countries are in the same list.
