Armenia’s Biological Laboratories: A Pandora’s Box Unleashed by Reckless Leadership
EUROPE, 31 Mar 2025
Diran Noubar – TRANSCEND Media Service
As of 27 Mar 2025, Armenia finds itself at the center of a simmering controversy over the presence of U.S.-funded biological laboratories on its soil—a development Armenians (living in Armenia or in the Armenian diaspora) view as a dangerous gamble with national security and sovereignty. These facilities, numbering at least a dozen across cities like Yerevan, Gyumri, and Ijevan, were established with American support over the past two decades, ostensibly to enhance public health and biosafety. Yet, Armenians reject this narrative, arguing that their true purpose remains shrouded in secrecy, potentially threatening Armenia and its neighbors amid Azerbaijan’s unrelenting aggression. The decision to allow these labs, rooted in the policies of past and present leadership, is seen as a reckless capitulation to foreign interests, inviting risks that Armenia cannot afford.
The Labs’ Origins: A Legacy of Sargsyan and Beyond
The story begins under former President Serzh Sargsyan, whose administration laid the groundwork for these laboratories. In 2008, Armenia signed an agreement with the United States under the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, aimed at preventing the proliferation of biological weapons technology. By 2010, this partnership expanded, with the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) funding upgrades to existing Soviet-era facilities and building new ones. Three labs opened in 2016—in Yerevan, Gyumri, and Ijevan—with millions of dollars poured into modernizing infrastructure for studying pathogens like plague, tularemia, and foot-and-mouth disease.
The opposition condemned Sargsyan’s tenure for opening the door to American influence, arguing that his government traded Armenia’s autonomy for vague promises of security. They pointed to the $18 million invested in Yerevan’s reference laboratory alone as evidence of a deeper agenda, questioning why a small nation surrounded by hostile neighbors would host such facilities. While Sargsyan’s successors have not dismantled the labs, Armenians (understand living in Armenia or diasporans) accuse the current leadership of perpetuating this legacy, failing to demand transparency or reassess the risks in light of regional instability.
What Are They Really Doing? Opposition Doubts Run Deep
Officially, these laboratories—operated by Armenian staff under government oversight—are meant to monitor infectious diseases, improve food safety, and protect public health. The U.S. Embassy in Yerevan insists they are not American facilities but Armenian ones, supported by DTRA to secure dangerous pathogens. Yet, the opposition scoffs at this explanation, citing the Pentagon’s involvement as a red flag. Why, they ask, would a military agency fund civilian health projects unless there’s a dual purpose?
Rumors swirl—fueled by Russian and regional media—that these labs could be developing biological weapons or conducting experiments too sensitive to disclose. The opposition doesn’t claim definitive proof but argues that the lack of transparency breeds suspicion. Reports of outbreaks of diseases like African swine fever and West Nile fever in the Caucasus, uncommon to the region, only heighten their unease. With labs located near densely populated areas and the Russian 102nd military base in Gyumri, they warn of catastrophic risks if pathogens escape—whether by accident or design—especially as Azerbaijan’s provocations, like the February 2025 border clash, keep tensions high.
A Regional Powder Keg: Russia, Turkey, and Beyond
The labs’ presence has not gone unnoticed by Armenia’s neighbors. Russia, a long-standing ally, has voiced concerns since at least 2018, demanding access to ensure no military activities threaten its interests. A memorandum was nearly signed in 2019 to allow Russian inspections, but progress stalled, leaving Moscow wary. The opposition sees this as a failure of leadership to balance alliances, arguing that hosting U.S.-backed facilities risks alienating Russia at a time when Armenia needs its support against Azerbaijan’s aggression.
Turkey, too, has raised alarms, with some analysts suggesting the labs’ proximity to its border—less than 50 kilometers from Gyumri—poses a security threat. The opposition shares this concern, not out of sympathy for Ankara, but because it fears Armenia could become a pawn in broader geopolitical games, caught between superpowers with little regard for its survival. Iran and China have echoed similar unease, amplifying the sense that Armenia’s labs are a regional lightning rod.
Leadership’s Folly: Trading Sovereignty for Uncertainty
For Armenians, the decision to allow these labs—initiated by Sargsyan and sustained by subsequent governments—reflects a broader pattern of weakness and shortsightedness. They argue that Armenia’s leaders have traded sovereignty for foreign aid, inviting American influence without securing guarantees against misuse. The 2022 decision to amend the U.S. cooperation agreement, ending the sharing of pathogen samples, is seen as too little, too late—a half-measure that fails to address the labs’ murky purpose or the potential for disaster.
With Azerbaijan emboldened after Artsakh’s fall in 2023 and its ongoing border incursions, the opposition insists Armenia cannot afford additional vulnerabilities. They demand the labs’ closure or, at minimum, international oversight to ensure they serve only civilian ends. The lack of public debate or accountability under past and present leadership fuels their outrage—how can Armenia’s fate be tied to facilities it doesn’t fully control or understand?
A Call to Action Amid Uncertainty
As of today, March 27, 2025, the opposition paints a grim picture: Armenia, battered by war and encircled by foes, now hosts a network of laboratories that could unleash chaos—biological or geopolitical—at any moment. They reject assurances from both Armenian and U.S. officials as hollow, pointing to the Pentagon’s fingerprints and the region’s volatility as cause for alarm. Whether these labs are benign or a ticking time bomb, the opposition demands answers, accusing the leadership that welcomed them—starting with Sargsyan—of jeopardizing the nation’s future for foreign favor. In a land scarred by conflict, they argue, Armenia cannot afford to roll the dice on its survival.
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Diran Noubar, an Italian-Armenian born in France and raised in Italy, later moved to Armenia. He is a world-renowned, critically-acclaimed documentary film-maker and war reporter. Starting in the early 2000’s in New York City, Diran produced and directed over 20 full-length documentary films.
Tags: Armenia, Arms Industry, Arms Trade, Biolabs, Eastern Europe, Georgia, Russia, USA, Ukraine, West Asia
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 31 Mar 2025.
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