ArmInfo. The Middle East plays a vital role for Armenia, and it is no secret that it is an integral part of the immediate security environment of the Armenian state. RA MFA Advisor Ruben Karapetyan stated this in an interview with "Lurer" program, referring to the upcoming visit of the Armenian Foreign Minister to the Middle East.
"We were part of the Middle East region, we were active participants in history, we had to face the existing problems of peace and war. We are connected with this region by many threads, interests, understanding all this, this year we at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs completed the development of a clear strategy in the Middle East. East," Karapetyan said.
He called this strategy a sovereign, in his words, in the sense that it should have been done long ago. At the same time, he believes that the programs and visits that have been developed in the Middle East will clearly signal the creation of such a circle of interests for equal, mutually beneficial cooperation with these partner countries, which will allow ensuring, guiding, promoting the state and national interests of Armenia.
At the same time, once again pointing out the importance of the Middle East for Armenia, Karapetyan noted that Armenia is not only a part of the Greater Middle East, not only a part of the geopolitics of the three seas, about which so much has been said in the recent period (Caspian, Black and Mediterranean Seas), but it is an integral part of this region.
To clarify what programs are planned to be implemented in the foreseeable future with the countries of the Middle East, the adviser to the Foreign Minister noted that the first visit is planned to Egypt, which is one of the "heavyweights" of the Arab world.
"The voice of Egypt is often decisive for different Arab countries. Egypt plays a key role in various military-political and security issues. Egypt is an active participant in today's Middle East threats, including events in North Africa. Deepening multifaceted bilateral relations, including in various security sectors, meets the national and state interests of Armenia.
As is well known, the headquarters of the League of Arab States, the only Arab organization uniting 22 Arab states, is located in Cairo, and meetings are planned here. For us, this is a platform where the voice of Armenia will be more heard, quickly conveyed, and we have been represented there for a long time," Karapetyan stressed.
Speaking about the agenda of Mnatsakanyan's visit to Egypt, his adviser noted that it is simple, but conclusions can be drawn upon its completion. At the same time, he said that within the framework of the visit, there will be meetings at the level of the top leadership of Egypt: the Minister of Foreign Affairs and other levels, in the same way as there will be meetings with spiritual leaders, because there is an important circumstance here too.
"This is also a novelty in our Middle East policy, because Armenia, as a people with a civilizational mission and a state representing the people, must necessarily pursue the interests of other religious and national minorities. In fact, Egypt is the beginning of our strategy in the Middle East. Later we will consider others. Middle East countries such as Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Jordan and Syria. This is an important region for us, we cannot but be concerned about stability in the Middle East," Karapetyan said.
Touching upon Armenia's position on Turkey's expansionist actions in the region, the minister's adviser promised to talk in detail on this topic in the future, noting that now he would not like to reduce the issue to a simple anti-Turkish formula, since this is not so, and this is only one of many questions. In his words, it is not that Armenia's relations with Egypt are conditioned by any third country. To the remark that Turkey is a threat to both Armenia and Egypt, Karapetyan, in particular, said: "Of course, in the context of the common threat, we with the partner countries have something to do, but I want to say that it is not only about this and not only this that determines our Middle East strategy. In a year or two, we can play a much more visible, much more serious, much more important role in the Middle East process. In the end, to put it in one word, this visit will be such a signal that both our neighbors and all our partners will understand that Armenia has returned to the Middle East. "