Armenia has taken note of the statement by the U.S. Department of State in connection with the deployment of the Armenian Humanitarian Mission to Syria (AHM), the Foreign ministry spokesperson, Anna Naghdalyan said on Wednesday as she was asked to comment on the issue.
Armenia’s Defense Ministry dispatched an 83-member team of medics, sappers and security personnel to Aleppo, Syria on Friday to carry out humanitarian de-mining and de-mining training of the population, as well as to provide medical assistance in Aleppo exclusively outside the zone of military operations.
“Armenia and the U.S have long worked together to address the current humanitarian catastrophe in Syria with its massive refugee and displacement crises.
“I would like to repeat that throughout the Syrian conflict the plight of civilians, minorities, including the sizable Syrian-Armenian community has consistently been a priority concern for the Armenian people worldwide. The Armenian public opinion strongly reflects deep compassion and concern for the sufferings of civilians and the devastation of the country. We speak about a country which has had an indispensable contribution for the survival of the Armenian nation in the wake of the Armenian Genocide. The Armenian Consul General has been never stopped operating throughout the crisis. To date Armenia has sheltered around 22,000 Syrian refugees and has dispatched 4 airplanes of humanitarian aid to the Syrian people. With the establishment of a relative normalcy and security, Armenia is now keen to continue its contribution to the humanitarian mission, including by providing doctors and humanitarian sappers, to help improve the livelihoods of civilians in the conflict-torn Aleppo. AHM is a purely relief mission guided by the International Humanitarian Law and coordinates its work with the relief agencies and international partners present on the ground.
“We share the concerns of the international community with regard to the plight of the ethnic and religious minorities in the Middle East and attach importance to the continued provision of humanitarian support in Syria,” Naghdalyan said.
Earlier on Wednesday, the State Department issued a statement, saying: “We recognize the desire of other nations to respond to the humanitarian situation in Syria, and we share the concerns about protecting religious minorities in the Middle East. However, we do not support any engagement with Syrian military forces, whether that engagement is to provide assistance to civilians or is military in nature.”