Armenian Capital Ups Police Presence Ahead of Pelosi’s Visit

YEREVAN (Sputnik) - Armenia ratcheted up police presence in the center of Yerevan on Saturday as the capital city prepares to host US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The top Democrat in the lower house of Congress is expected to arrive from Berlin on Saturday night. She will be welcomed outside the US embassy by a delegation of US-friendly organizations.

A Sputnik correspondent reported heavy police presence in downtown Republic Square and adjacent Northern Avenue, a pedestrian thoroughfare. Marshal Baghramyan Avenue, which leads to the National Assembly, has been decorated with US and Armenian national colors.

Pelosi’s trip to the Caucasian nation comes amid renewed clashes with its regional rival, Azerbaijan, with the neighbors blaming each other for firing first. The two fought a bloody war over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region two years ago.

In August, the situation around Taiwan escalated after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island. China condemned Pelosi's trip, which it regarded as a gesture of support for Taiwan, and launched large-scale military exercises in the vicinity of the island.