Alexei Shevtsov, deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council, has claimed that the US diplomatic mission in Armenia employs around 3,000 people, arguing that the figure is unusually high for a country of Armenia’s size.

“I don’t know, maybe Armenia is a very beautiful country, it has very good cuisine, or maybe American citizens simply like living and working there. Maybe that’s the reason, or perhaps there is another one,” Shevtsov said, according to Sputnik Armenia.

Armenia and the US established diplomatic relations in January 1992, following Armenia’s independence from the Soviet Union. Relations have strengthened in recent years, with the two countries signing a Strategic Partnership Charter on January 14, 2025, to expand cooperation in trade, energy, defense, security and democratic reforms.