Panorama.am published Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s speech delivered at the discussion organized by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on Thursday in the framework of his working trip to U.S.
In his address, Sargsyan noted that being a CSTO co-founding member, Armenia has been effectively cooperating with NATO for many years, the proof of which is the mastering of the Treaty’s army building experience and Armenia’s active participation in different peacekeeping operations.
“Becoming an EEU member, we gave new impetus to the close relations between Armenia and EU in political and economic fields, reaffirming our thesis that sustaining the ties with [both] EU and Eurasian partners is entirely possible. Having increasingly strong strategic cooperation with Russia, we have excellent relations with almost all western countries. And, finally, we have historic and interstate ties with various Muslim countries,” Sargsyan said.
According to him, being under the every day threat of war recommencement, Armenia’s decisions are based on ensuring the country’s security. “Being a small country, we can’t separate the world into friends and enemies. We follow evolutionary and balanced policy, creating no problems for the countries having interest in our region, so as not to turn into another crisis center,” he said.
Sargsyan also touched on some of the priority issues of Armenia’s foreign policy, specifically referring to the Karabakh conflict.
“Today Azerbaijan presents this issue as a territorial dispute between Armenian and Azerbaijan. I’d like to stress that the Republic of Armenia has never had any territorial claims to Azerbaijan. Moreover, we recognize the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which has never included Nagorno-Karabakh. These are not my standpoints, but historic facts, which those interested can study and make certain for themselves,” the President said.
In Sargsyan’s words, the Nagorno-Karabakh issue is all about the implementation of the inalienable right of the physical security and self-determination of people.
“Unfortunately, there is a huge gap between the views of the Azerbaijani authorities and the norms adopted in the civilized world. If the civilized world creates necessary conditions for the implementation of the right of self-determination of people, Azerbaijan - blinded by its oil profits - does its best to force its views not only on Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, but also other mediator states,” he said.
The President also stressed that despite the ceasefire declared in 1994, Azerbaijan has fired not only at the border regions of Nagorno-Karabakh, but also those of Armenia. “But in the recent two years, Azerbaijan’s provocative actions have seen a considerable growth. Moreover, today Azerbaijan has started shelling with large-scale weapons. I can’t but state that a subtle war is underway on the border: everyone can see this,” he said.
Sargsyan also touched on the authoritative regime and human rights situation in Azerbaijan, referring to the European Parliament resolution adopted on September 9, which considered Azerbaijan as one of the states with greatest decline in democracy in the Eurasian region during the recent ten years.
“Now I’d like to ask you a question: Can the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, who are moving by the path of democracy for over 20 years, live within Azerbaijan which is confidently stepping from authoritativeness to tyranny. Can the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, who became the masters of their right to physical existence at the expense of their blood, again become part of Azerbaijan, a country, where Armenians are hated and where a man shedding the blood of an Armenian is [considered as] a hero and not a killer,” Sargsyan concluded.
