Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Friday slammed Ankara for what he called its “destructive” action that are having “destabilizing” effects on the region.
“I think that Turkey’s destabilizing and destructive actions are causing serious concerns to our partners in the Middle East, the Eurasian region and the European region,” said Pashinyan during meeting of Armenia’s National Security Council on Friday.
“This is an agenda that has already been formed, and our future steps should be the subject of substantive discussions in the Security Council, the Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and today’s session will address this issue among other agenda items,” Pashinyan said according to his press office.
Since Azerbaijan began brazenly attacking civilian and military targets in Armenia’s Tavush Province on July 12, official Ankara has continued its aggressive posturing toward Yerevan. The Turkish government’s overt endorsement of Baku’s attacks were followed by a diplomatic attack on Yerevan over Armenia’s leaders’ statement about the 100th anniversary of the Sevres Treat. Just this week, Ankara again lashed out at Yerevan, whose government unequivocally threw its support to Greece and Cyprus over Turkey’s attempts to destabilize the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Pashinyan seized on Armenia’s victories in last month’s attacks to also express Armenia’s position on the matter, as well as the ongoing Karabakh conflict settlement process, saying that Azerbaijan’s “failures” on the ground should be perceived as Baku’s conceding to Armenia and the international community.
He said prior to the July events, Azerbaijan had adopted a position by which it would resolve the conflict through military force, as witnessed by the ongoing rhetoric from official Baku.
Azerbaijan’s “failure to launch an offensive and resolve the Karabakh conflict by force should be perceived as a concession to both Armenia and the international community,” Pashinyan told the security council.
“Throughout this time, we had been urging the Azerbaijani leadership to refrain from speaking to Armenia from the position of strength and to give up their bellicose rhetoric,” Pashinyan explained, adding there can be no military solution to the Karabakh conflict.
“I think the time has come for the Azerbaijani leadership to acknowledge this fact, since as I have mentioned on several occasions, if the Karabakh issue were to have a military solution, then the people of Artsakh might state that they have resolved it a long time ago,” said Pashinyan, referring to the Artsakh’s decisive victory in the Karabakh war.
The prime minister stressed that Armenia continues with its constructive stance on the Karabakh issue. “Our position is that the conflict should be settled through peaceful talks. Armenia has always been adhered to this very position on the Karabakh issue, regardless of the political background of its governments,” said Pashinyan.
“The most important point we have to make is that the Republic of Armenia is in a position to meet the emerging security challenges. At the same time, we must improve the country’s security environment every week, every month and every year. The Security Council is just the working format which should discuss and resolve such issues,” added Pashinyan.