12:30,

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS. Artsakh’s (Nagorno Karabakh) fate is closely linked with Syunik’s fate, while Syunik is the key to Armenia’s integrity, the President of the Regional Council of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Laurent Wauquiez said on March 31 in Yerevan.

“That’s why we decided to have a cooperation agreement between our region and Syunik province. The agreement was signed in a very meaningful place, in the Tatev Monastery. Cooperation will relate to healthcare, agriculture and education. I’ve said that whoever attacks Syunik will be attacking my region,” Wauquiez said, repeating his statement made at the signing ceremony earlier.

He called on France and the international community to pay attention to Armenia and Artsakh amid the threats from Azerbaijan.

“This isn’t a dispute between two countries where borders aren’t clarified and it could last forever, this is a total disregard for human rights that are protected under all international conventions, this is a desire to destroy a nation, its culture and history, its memory. This is certainly Armenia’s struggle, Artsakh’s struggle, but this is also a bigger struggle, this is a struggle for all the values that we bear. This is a struggle for civilization and democracy. Protecting you means protecting all these values,” the French politician added.

He called for stronger reaction by the international community and international sanctions against Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

“It was decided not to buy Russian gas any more after the occupation of some parts of Ukraine, but is the Azerbaijani gas more acceptable? Why weren’t there any consequences for what happened, why are there no sanctions against the Aliyev regime? I share these questions with you and I am equally angered,” he said.

Wauquiez said that together with his 40-member delegation he visited Syunik province. “All members of my delegation can now say, I have been there, I have seen what’s happening, I know what’s happening. The Azerbaijani troops came and captured the parts from the sovereign territory of Armenia where we went just one day earlier.”