YEREVAN. – The Armenian community in Syria must be preserved at any cost, Arab Studies specialist Armen Petrosyan stated during a press conference on Saturday. 

In his words, this community enables the Armenians to consolidate their presence in the region.

“There are 60 thousand Armenians living in Syria, whose population is 23 million. They have their representative in the country’s government, and this means the community plays an important role. The Armenian Apostolic Church functions there, there are Armenian organizations, cultural centers, and today it is very important to ensure their safety,” the Arab Studies specialist noted.      

The analyst also stressed that Syrian Armenians are very united and organized.

“This is proven by the fact that no action has yet been taken against the Syrian Armenians. [And] This is a result of prudent neutrality,” said Petrosyan, and brought the example of the Lebanese civil war.   

“The Beirut Armenians had united at that time and were able to surmount that ordeal on the account of [adopting a] correct stance. [And] Today Syrian Armenians face such problem,” Armen Petrosyan said.