Q: What can you say about the news disseminated by international press agencies that Armenian citizens have been arrested by Equatorial Guinea’s authorities?

A: On the 8th of March 2004, in the evening, 6 citizens of the Republic of Armenia were detained in Equatorial Guinea. They have been charged with participating in a coup d'etat attempt. There are a number of civilian pilots of Armenian citizenship who work in the countries of Equatorial Africa, on contracts with private aircraft companies.

In this matter, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia has made all possible efforts to obtain more specific information on this situation as well as in providing the necessary legal assistance to those Armenian citizens. Armenia’s ambassadors in New York and Moscow have met with their counterparts from Equatorial Guinea.

At the same time, taking into consideration the fact, that the Republic of Armenia has no diplomatic representation in the region, the Ministry has applied to third country friendly states with certain influence in that country for possible assistance.