Friday, October 23 2020 18:00

ArmInfo. Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan in an interview with DW presented the position of Armenia on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh  conflict, spoke about the current situation at the forefront and  destructive position of the Turkish- Azerbaijani tandem in the  settlement.

Thus, during the conversation, Mnatsakanyan reiterated Yerevan's  commitment to the implementation of the agreements on the  establishment of a ceasefire for humanitarian purposes on the basis  of the statements of October 10 and 17, and to return to negotiations  to achieve a peaceful settlement of this conflict. At the same time,  he stated that the Azerbaijani side does not want to comply with the  agreements and battles along the entire front line are continuing.

He also spoke about the targeted attacks by Azerbaijan on peaceful  settlements and civilian infrastructures, as a result of which there  are numerous casualties among civilians. He spoke about the difficult  humanitarian situation that has developed due to the aggression of  Azerbaijan, noting that 90 thousand people were forced to leave their  homes, more than 8 thousand units of real estate and infrastructures  were destroyed.

At the same time, the Armenian Foreign Minister recalled that the  Armenian side has repeatedly proposed to introduce verification  mechanisms that would allow avoiding mutual accusations and clearly  identifying the culprit of the violation, but Azerbaijan rejects this  proposal.

At the same time, Mnatsakanyan emphasized that for three and a half  weeks our compatriots in Artsakh have been subjected to a massive  attack, they are facing an existential threat, a threat of existence  on the planet.

He also spoke about the militant rhetoric of Azerbaijan,  Armenophobia, the torture of the bodies of the Armenian soldiers who  died on the battlefield, the beheading of prisoners of war, the  glorification of the Armenian killers.

Mnatsakanyan reaffirmed Yerevan's commitment to a peaceful settlement  of the conflict based on mutual concessions. In his words, the Prime  Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has repeatedly emphasized this,  including these days. The Minister stressed that the priority for the  Armenian side in the settlement of the conflict is the security of  the population and the status of Artsakh.

The Armenian Foreign Minister also stressed that he did not agree  with the assessment of the former US Ambassador to RA Richard Mills  that the majority of the RA population is not ready for concessions  on the Karabakh issue. Mnatsakanyan noted that he did not see any  signs of a compromise on the part of Azerbaijan.

He also recalled that over the past two years, the creation of an  atmosphere conducive to peace was part of the work within the  framework of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. According to him, a lot  of efforts were made together, work was underway on steps that could  somehow reduce tensions.

He also disagreed with the allegations that in the recent period the  Armenian leadership resorted to provocative actions, including  announcing the construction of a new road between Armenia and  Artsakh, noting that all actions were aimed at improving the quality  of life of compatriots in NKR, who have already for about three  decades they have been oppressed by the actions of Azerbaijan.

At the same time, the Armenian minister stated that in the current  situation Turkey continues to be a destabilizing factor. Mnatsakanyan  recalled that Armenia had repeatedly warned about this that today the  international community is witnessing this destabilizing aggressive  policy in the neighborhood of Turkey in all directions - in the  Middle East, North Africa, and the Middle East. "We are fully aware  of the danger of exporting such a destabilizing policy to our region.  We see signs of this when military weapons are shipped to Azerbaijan,  when foreign armed terrorists recruited in Libya, Syria are  transported to Azerbaijan. What Azerbaijan did is absurd. Now  Azerbaijan has become a breeding ground for terrorism, "the Armenian  Foreign Minister said.

To clarify whether Armenia is afraid of being isolated due to its  intransigence against the background of the current situation and  because its ally Russia "does not want to take on geopolitical  responsibility Mnatsakanyan, he stressed that he does not share this  assessment." So, we have co-chairs The OSCE Minsk Group, of which  Russia is a responsible member. We have allied relations with Russia,  we have many other partners in the world. The fact is that we were  consistent in our work on the ceasefire, achieved with the efforts of  Russian President Putin on October 10 and French President Macron on  October 17. This needs to be done. Therefore, I cannot agree with the  argument that Armenia is uncompromising. The defense of the Armenian  population of Artsakh by the Defense Army with the support of Armenia  simply means the protection of human life in Artsakh. But again, how  many times should I repeat that there is no alternative to a peaceful  settlement, "Mnatsakanyan summed up.