News - Armenia President to France 2 TV: Our main goal is to resolve matter of living in peace with Azerbaijan

Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan, in an interview with France 2 television, addressed the current situation in Armenia and its region, as well as the issue of forcibly displaced Armenians as a result of the military operations unleashed by Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh. The President emphasized that as a result of the more than nine-month-long blockade by Azerbaijan and its subsequent use of large-scale military force on September 19-20, more than 100,000 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh were forced to move to Armenia in just a few days recently, where their physical existence will not be threatened. Also, Khachaturyan reflected on the initiatives of various international organizations in recent months aimed at resolving the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh, and noted that although the efforts by France and various prestigious organizations towards finding a peaceful solution to the problem and finding solutions are appreciable, they were not enough to unblock the Lachin humanitarian corridor, as well as to restrain Azerbaijan and rule out its use of force. "Here we need to understand another, broader aspect. It is not only about Nagorno Karabakh, but also in any part of the world, how will we deal with similar problems, what levers are there to stop such developments, should we wait for catastrophic events to happen, and then let's just document the presence of casualties, emigrants, dispossessed, and forcibly displaced people. This is an issue that applies not only to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, but also to people living in any place in the world," the Armenian president said. Commenting on the possibility of military cooperation between Armenia and France, President Khachaturyan noted that Azerbaijan's military aggression against the sovereign territory of Armenia on September 11-12, 2022 made it clear that the existing security systems are not sufficient for the full protection of the territorial integrity of Armenia, and therefore the country is taking measures to increase its defense capability by developing partners, including relations with France, and creating new ties. At the same time, the Armenian president stressed that their military cooperation with France and some other countries is not directed against any third country and has only a defensive purpose. And regarding relations with Azerbaijan, the Armenian president said as follows: "Our main goal is to resolve the matter of living in peace with Azerbaijan, we support the establishment of long-term and stable peace in the region, our policy is aimed at this, and we expect support from our international partners in this matter. We want to live in peace in our country and to settle the problems with our neighbors with peaceful instruments and develop the neighborly relations".