After the 2018 revolution, Armenia announced that it will not make any changes in its foreign policy. Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, Armen Grigoryan, stated this in an interview to Civilnet.
"As an official, I have not been to any western capital until December 2021, I have not met with any colleague as Security Council secretary. This was the indicator of our foreign policy and positions. I have been to Moscow, Astana, Bishkek.
"After the war of 2020, the security environment of Armenia appeared in very vulnerable conditions. But even then, we talked with Moscow and reached agreements that, for example, the border of Armenia is a ‘red line,’ Armenia is ready for close cooperation, etc. After that, in 2021, two attacks on Armenia take place, in May and November, and a task faces to think about our security environment. I have not only been to Western capitals, I have also been to Iran, India, and we have tried to resolve our security issues.
"We petitioned to the CSTO in May, November, and so on in 2021 for help. And when we did not receive help, we tried to look for alternatives. And when they accuse us of changing some foreign policy, I would be the first to accuse them, I would say: ‘You think [about it]. We asked for help from you first, we said: resolve our issue, in May, November 2021. When we saw that you are not resolving [it], we went to look for security guarantees for ourselves,"’ said Grigoryan.
He stressed that at that time there was no war in Ukraine.
"Now many are discussing that all this is probably happening because of the war in Ukraine. No. It is because of our practice that all this is happening. I wouldn't call this a vector change; I would call it a search for certain security guarantees because we are looking for those guarantees and opportunities in [New] Delhi as well," said Grigoryan.
As for the arguments from the Russian side that “You did not declare military mobilization, you did not declare martial law, and you are telling us to come, help,” the head of Armenia’s Security Council responded: "If they want to help, they will find a thousand reasons to help. When they don't want to help, they find a thousand reasons not to help. If we passed the law on martial law, they would have said: ‘There is no delimited border; we don't know where to keep.’ If we had a delimited border, they would have said: ‘Do you want us to come, go to war with Azerbaijan and Turkey?’ Whatever we would have done, they would have found reasons."
Grigoryan stated that Armenia expects the CSTO to evaluate the situation and recognize the border that they must protect.
"By the way, they should not send a monitoring mission, but... after all, it is a military alliance. How does a military alliance send a monitor?" he said.
When asked whether Armenia-NATO relations could rise to a new level, the Security Council secretary responded: "I can talk about relations with the US; it is developing intensively. We are trying to have a relationship with the US in the broader context of the economy. Relations with the US are very important in order to have developed technologies. Recently, we had two high-level visits in the economic direction. From a military and political point of view, they are not yet at the phase to be discussed. Time is needed for such collaborations to happen."
And to the question whether it is necessary for Armenia to leave the CSTO first for the aforesaid to happen, Armen Grigoryan responded. "No. There is no issue of leaving the CSTO. There is no constraint to collaborate with other countries."
