Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Armenia and Greece react decisively against act posing risk to their interests and sovereign rights

Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan addressed the recent regional developments in an interview with the Greek MEGA TV, commenting upon the escalations along the Armenian-Azerbaijanii border and Turkey's subsequent reaction, as well as the Turkish authorities' move to convert the Hagia Sophia monument back into a mosque and the Armenia-Cyprus relations. 

ARMENPRESS has publishhed the English text of the interview:

Question: How will Armenia react in the event that Turkey actually provides in practical terms arms, personnel and money to Azerbaijan?

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan. The only country which has been speaking the language of threat over this past week was, indeed, Turkey. We will be defending us, we will be strengthening our defense, we will be working with our international partners.

Question: There are analysts that claim that the Armenian-Azeri conflict is actually only a smokescreen of the growing rivalry between Russia and Turkey.

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: We are a member of the international community, a sovereign state. We need peace and security in this region. We do not need making this region an object of international rivalry.

Question: Turkey’s president Rejep Tayyip Erdogan called the offensive beyond Armenia’s caliber.

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Well, this is exactly the language that we reject, the language of threat, to review these policies from a nation which has been living in denial and impunity. And lately we have also been observing the justification of the act of the Genocide. This is not exactly the way in which one nation is willing to contribute to peace in the region.

Question: Turkey is actually trying to recreate the neo-Ottoman state in a wide area.

Zohrab Mnatskanyan: Greece is a nation which has been working very hard towards peace and stability in its part of this neighbourhood. Armenia is pursuing very similar objectives.

Question: Great Hagia Sophia in Istanbul once again echoed with Muslim prayers.

Zohrab Mnatskanyan: This act of converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque is exactly a threat to that symbol of harmony and dialogue and mutual respect.

Question: How do you see the provocation from Turkey on Greece?

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: I want to reiterate our strong support and solidarity to Greece and to Cyprus. This is a major destabilizing act in the Eastern Mediterranean which again manifests the very aggressive policies that Turkey has been consistently displaying in those recent times. Question: In the event that Turkey and Greece get involved in an armed conflict, will Armenia actually stand in solidarity with Greece?

Zohrab Mnatskanayan: I do not see anything that can shatter or can question the very strong solidarity, the very strong relationship and the very strong friendship between Armenia and Greece. We react decisively against such acts which put at risk our interests or our sovereign rights.