Armenia sees Turkey as a country promoting “policies of instability and aggression, Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said in an interview with Italian EFE agency.

“While all countries were calling for a halt to the escalation with Azerbaijan, Ankara was doing the opposite by instigating the conflict and approving joint military maneuvers with Baku,” the Minister said,

Mnatsakanián said the denial of the genocide, the threats, the economic blockade and the total support for Baku represent a “threat to the security of Armenia.”

“While Turkey says it does not want problems with its neighbors, in reality it is an exporter of instability and aggression for its entire neighborhood and this policy is exported to the South Caucasus. We cannot remain indifferent,” he said.

Referring to the Karabakh conflict, the Foreign Minister said Yerevan believes that the best thing for regional stability would be to strengthen the ceasefire regime in force since 1994 with “control mechanisms” that prevent escalations and that “target” the party responsible for violating the truce.

“But Baku has been avoiding it. They had better accept it. De-escalation is the priority now. That is the most important thing,” he stressed.

The Foreign Minister stressed that there is no alternative to a peaceful settlement.

“No one can expect a solution at the expense of Armenia or Nagorno Karabakh,” he said.

In this regard, Yerevan has two priorities: the recognition of Nagorno Karabakh’s right to self-determination “without limitations” and security agreements that prevent the resumption of hostilities.

“For us everything starts from security. The physical and existential security of Nagorno Karabakh. But security is one issue and the status of Nagorno Karabakh is another issue,” he stressed.

And he defended the participation of the Nagorno Karabakh authorities in the peace process, as they have received the mandate from the people to negotiate.