Armenia MFA spox: Peace treaty with Azerbaijan will gain higher legal force than any internal law after it’s signed There is no territorial claim against any country in text of Armenia's Constitution: Spokesperson of Foreign Ministry counters accusations coming from Baku Ararat Mirzoyan to participate in session of Council of Foreign Ministers of CIS countries in Moscow The stamp, the first day cover and the souvenir sheet dedicated to the 75th anniversary of Hrant Vardanyan, a businessman, benefactor, the founder of "Grand Holding" have been issued. Ameriabank’s Special Offer for New Mastercard Holders. 1% Cashback and Lots of Gifts Mirzoyan and Prime Minister of Palestine signed communiqué on establishment of diplomatic relations between two countries Lavrov and Araghchi discussed situation in South Caucasus Iran to take measures following Israeli strike on Beirut: Pezeshkian Our thoughts are with soldiers fallen on battlefield, their families, friends: Olivier Decottignies Four years ago on this day, Azerbaijan attacked Nagorno-Karabakh Papikyan participated in tribute event dedicated to victims of 44-day war Ararat Mirzoyan expressed condolences to Abdallah Bou Habib on death of Lebanese citizens 

Ankara’s actions in the Caucasus could also pose a threat to the EU, Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissian told Politico

World Press

Armenian president wants NATO to explain Turkish involvement in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Famous analyst Ben Judah conversed with the President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian. He referred to that interview In POLITICO and published an article on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and present situation. Its abridged and translated version is presented below.

Armen Sarkissian says Ankara’s actions in the Caucasus could also pose a threat to the EU.

Armenia’s president is demanding answers from NATO over the involvement of Turkey in the Nagorno-Karabakh war. Armen Sarkissian says he’s ready to travel to Brussels to confront the transatlantic alliance over Ankara’s actions in the Caucasus and warn the European Union of the threat they pose to the bloc’s security.

“If I go to Brussels,” he said in an interview with POLITICO, “I would like to speak to the NATO leadership as to why this very strange situation is taking place where Turkey, a full NATO member, is involved in a war that has nothing to do with NATO. How on earth is it that a NATO member is acting as freely as a cowboy and NATO does nothing? Does this mean they have a green light from NATO?”

Turkey threw its weight behind traditional ally Azerbaijan when the frozen conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh reignited last month. The fighting has cost hundreds of lives, with both sides accusing each other of killing civilians.

Armenia is accusing Turkey of sending fighter jets and Syrian mercenaries to Azerbaijan. Ankara has denied this, though several media reports have documented the presence of Syrian fighters and F-16s. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has acknowledged Turkish F-16s are present in the country but claimed they were not used in the fighting.

Sarkissian said he wanted to visit NATO’s Brussels headquarters to “get explanations” as to why “Turkish weapons, drones and F-16 are involved in the process of bombing Armenia and Armenian civilians in huge numbers. These are NATO-made weapons: the engines from Austria, the avionics are from Canada and the parts of the rockets are from Britain and so on.”

Sarkissian said he was also ready to travel to Paris, London and Berlin to make Armenia’s case to European leaders. “I am ready to tell [Angela] Merkel,” he said, “that I understand that Europe is busy with other things and everyone is busy with COVID-19, but dear Madam Chancellor what you are probably not seeing clearly is that there is another disaster coming from the Caucasus to you that is not a biological virus but the virus of instability and war.”

Sarkissian said he wanted the German chancellor to understand that “the war of Turkey and Azerbaijan risks creating another Syria. Or making Turkey the creator and the ruler of an energy crisis to Europe.” (Pipelines crucial to the EU’s energy supply pass close to Nagorno-Karabakh.)

In contrast, he does not feel the need to remind French President Emmanuel Macron about the conflict’s potential geopolitical ramifications. “I think that Macron understands that instability in the Caucasus is going to hit the larger region and then it will affect Western Europe,” Sarkissian said. “He understands that the Turkish presence in Azerbaijan will make Southern Europe and Central Asia all dependent on Turkey and Turkey will emerge as a regional superpower and that is what [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan wants to achieve.”

France, home to a sizable Armenian minority, has seen a bill introduced to the parliament to recognize the Republic of Artsakh or Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said he expects France to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh but a measure actually passing remains highly unlikely.

Sarkissian said he would be “very happy” if France recognized the breakaway region. “As Armenians, we have always believed that a solution has to be reached through peaceful negotiations and in order not to make things worse, this has restrained us from recognizing the Republic of Artsakh until now.” He added: “But of course if we don’t see light at the end of the tunnel we will recognize Nagorno-Karabakh.”

Armenia is seeking to present the war to Brussels as part and parcel of Turkey’s growing assertiveness, which has brought Ankara into conflict with EU member countries across the region. In Libya, Turkey has intervened on behalf of the U.N.-backed government against France-backed militia leader Khalifa Haftar and in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkish ships are searching for energy resources in waters claimed by Greece and Cyprus.

“You get the impression,” said Sarkissian, “that Erdoğan is creating instability and breaking the status quo all around. In this sea of instability, Turkey feels quite calm and is swimming as it gives them a chance to play with everyone.”

Sarkissian said that Europe’s and NATO’s seeming inability to influence Ankara risked their credibility.

“I am calling on everybody in Brussels to put pressure on Turkey. But first, they have to decide what is acceptable as these Turkish actions are going to hurt NATO, its prestige and the very idea [that] it is an alliance that is there to defend against an enemy.”

He stressed that he believed Turkish intervention would permanently reshape the geopolitics of the South Caucasus by turning Azerbaijan into a springboard for Turkish influence across the wider region and its crucial pipeline network.

He also warned that Syrian mercenaries could prove a long-term destabilizing factor in the region: “They will create another zone of instability there menacing Azerbaijan, Russia, Armenia and Iran.”

Beyond Europe, Sarkissian lamented that countries were busy with other things, such as the upcoming U.S. election.

Russia - a treaty ally of Armenia that has in the past also delivered weapons to Azerbaijan - has so far opted not to back Yerevan militarily. The Kremlin has, however, been the lead diplomatic force in the conflict in recent weeks, negotiating a failed cease-fire.

“I appreciate what President [Vladimir] Putin and Foreign Minister [Sergey] Lavrov are doing,” said Sarkissian.

Armenian officials have repeatedly said they view the conflict not merely as a clash over disputed territories but as a continuation of the 1915 Armenian genocide, which saw as many as 1.5 million Armenians killed by the Ottoman Empire.

Sarkissian claimed Turkey wanted to “not only to teach a lesson to Armenia and tell Armenia what happened 105 years [ago] but say ‘why don’t you shut up, Armenians’ as you will have another genocide in 2020 and this will happen under the eyes of [the] international community.”

Turkey and Azerbaijan say Baku’s war is about ending the occupation of territories that are internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

Yet Sarkissian insisted: “They are fighting a war of ethnic cleansing to make a piece of land without Armenians.” 

Հետևե՛ք -ին Youtube-ում`
Thanks to Karen Vardanyan's support of 119 million, two military sports colleges have been furnished with modern sports equipment and busesBusinessman and benefactor Mikayel Vardanyan was awarded the title of Honorary citizen of Masis communityRay Brown Jr. Yerevan More than 70 percent of referendum participants supported construction of nuclear power plant in KazakhstanSeparate meeting of Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan is not planned: Armenia's Foreign MinistryRussia and Ukraine continue to strike each other's territoriesArmenia MFA spox: Peace treaty with Azerbaijan will gain higher legal force than any internal law after it’s signed A new concept for passwords: Why random character sets are no longer considered good passwordsThere is no territorial claim against any country in text of Armenia's Constitution: Spokesperson of Foreign Ministry counters accusations coming from BakuTime for a ceasefire has now come: Macron to NetanyahuIran announced suspension of some flights in territory of countryPresident Vahagn Khachaturyan paid a working visit to GermanyArarat Mirzoyan to participate in session of Council of Foreign Ministers of CIS countries in MoscowThe stamp, the first day cover and the souvenir sheet dedicated to the 75th anniversary of Hrant Vardanyan, a businessman, benefactor, the founder of "Grand Holding" have been issued.Ameriabank’s Special Offer for New Mastercard Holders. 1% Cashback and Lots of Gifts Astronomers make sensational discovery that refutes well-known theses about dark matterEmily in Paris star reveals why she wouldn't wear her character's clothes in 'real life'Our martyrs opened for us a new opportunity of having a state: PashinyanBelarus, Russia plan to sign treaty on security guarantees: RyzhenkovMirzoyan and Prime Minister of Palestine signed communiqué on establishment of diplomatic relations between two countriesBaerbock and Bayramov discussed settlement process between Armenia and AzerbaijanLavrov and Araghchi discussed situation in South CaucasusIsraeli army called on residents of suburbs of Beirut to evacuate immediatelyHezbollah fired at least 65 rockets in direction of Israel: IDFIsrael is not in conflict with Lebanon: Representative of Israel at UNIran to take measures following Israeli strike on Beirut: PezeshkianOur thoughts are with soldiers fallen on battlefield, their families, friends: Olivier DecottigniesMeghan Markle was ‘demon’ as boss who had ‘psychopathic moments,’ ex-employees sayFour years ago on this day, Azerbaijan attacked Nagorno-KarabakhHarris believes Ukraine should not cede territory to achieve peacePapikyan participated in tribute event dedicated to victims of 44-day warArarat Mirzoyan expressed condolences to Abdallah Bou Habib on death of Lebanese citizensMirzoyan presented to Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia efforts to conclude peace treaty with AzerbaijanArmen Grigoryan and Charles Fries discussed issue of providing assistance to Armenia through European Peace InstrumentThere is still no decision on next stage of border liberalization processes: Mher GrigoryanLilit Makunts and Joshua Volz discussed cooperation between Armenia and US in energy sectorAll those claims that Armenia has agreed somewhere, in some document, that third forces shall provide security of communications on its territory, are simply distortion of reality: PashinyanBlinken-Mirzoyan-Bayramov meeting kicks-off in New YorkFM statement at G20: Normalization of relations with neighbors is one of Armenia’s main prioritiesEconomy minister: Wheat production in Armenia is not economically expedientIsrael FM rejects proposals for ceasefire in LebanonIn the event of aggression against Russia and Belarus, we reserve the right to use nuclear weapons, PutinFrance stands firmly by side of Prime Minister of Armenia, MacronFrance stands firmly by side of Prime Minister of Armenia, MacronOpenAI launches long-awaited feature – ChatGPT voice assistantRussia supplies oil to EU by sea, bypassing sanctions: GreenpeacePrayer service be held at Yerevan's Saint Anna Church for Armenians in Azerbaijan prisons, their safe return homeMirzoyan reaffirmed to Volker Turk vision of Armenia to establish lasting peace and stability in regionIsrael shot down a Hezbollah missile fired at Mossad headquartersRussia should be forced to peace based on UN Charter: Zelensky
Most Popular