Armenian ambassador to Germany severely critical of Russia, CSTO
ArmInfo.Thanks to the solidarity of the Armenian society and the efforts of the Armenian government, it was possible to mitigate the problems faced by forcibly displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh and avoid the establishment of tent cities in Armenia, Armenian Ambassador to Germany Viktor Yengibaryan stated in an interview with Loyal - Das Magazin fur Sicherheitspolitik.
During the interview, the diplomat touched upon security in the South Caucasus, ethnic cleansing of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh and peacebuilding.
Yengibaryan also expressed confidence that Armenia and Azerbaijan are technically very close to a "peace treaty," but Azerbaijan's political will is lacking.
"The only precondition for prosperity in our region is peace. If peace is established, it will finally be possible to open borders, have free movement of people and goods, which will benefit Azerbaijan, the Turkey-Armenia border will open. This will be beneficial for everyone," the diplomat said.
In this vein, he added that the "Crossroads of the World" initiative of the Armenian government is the most important part of the peace program, and it will become an important part of North-South, East-West trade and economic relations.
At the same time, Yengibaryan emphasized that Armenia is taking steps towards diversifying arms procurement markets and creating a professional army.
"Russia is a strategic partner of Armenia, but it is also a strategic partner of Azerbaijan and has sold billions of dollars worth of weapons to the latter since 2011, which is not the case with Armenia.
In this sense, the statement that Russia is the force protecting Armenia is incorrect. The CSTO did not support Armenia not only militarily, but also politically, so we have serious questions regarding the meaning of this structure," said the Armenian diplomat.
In conclusion, he touched upon the activities of the EU civilian mission in Armenia and assured that it plays a positive role in the region. "From Germany, as the largest EU state, we expect active actions regarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Armenia. The influence of Germany as a state that has good relations with Turkey is also important for us," Yengibaryan said.