ArmInfo.Armenia is very concerned about the tense situation in neighboring countries, in particular, what is happening in Iraq and Syria, the countries in which our nation has had a significant contribution from time immemorial. On June 7, during the speech in the Italian community on relations with international organizations at the Foreign Ministry of the country, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian stated.
According to him, Armenia repeatedly condemned the criminal actions of ISIS and other groups that threaten the population in the region and beyond. "Violent actions did not bypass Syrian Armenians either. Many of them were forced to leave their place of residence. Only from Syria there were more than 20,000 refugees who found refuge in Armenia, so our country became the third in Europe in terms of the number of refugees from Syria. Armenia spares no effort in solving all the problems that the Syrian refugees have had. We also tried to give a helping hand to those who need help, citizens of Syria, giving them humanitarian aid for a long time," the minister said, noting that another humanitarian aid plane flew from Armenia to Syria.
As for international efforts, Nalbandian noted that it is impossible to reach a common agreement on the issue of Syria without including into the political process all the factions operating in this country. "It is necessary to create all conditions, enabling the people of Syria in the most secure conditions to express their position on the future of the country. In the settlement process, it is also necessary to take into account the private interests of vulnerable groups, which include ethnic and religious minorities. Any efforts to restore the affected communities should be supported, regardless of differences in political and religious views," the minister said.