Armenian FM expresses concern over Israel’s selling weapons to Azerbaijan

YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Israel have great potential to develop the bilateral relations, Foreign minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said in an interview to the Jerusalem Post, adding that the two countries have a great history and civilization.

“We have an enormous sense of national identity and pride, so we can work together in so many fields of economy, agriculture, hi-tech, tourism, direct flights, health culture, education and so on and so forth”, FM Mnatsakanyan said.

The Armenian FM also touched upon Israel’s selling weapons to Azerbaijan and noted: “It has been and remains an issue of great concern for us on several counts. Israel’s arms trade is a weapon of death for our people. We have been witnessing the use of such weapons against our people. We are a security conscious nation and are highly confident in our capacity to defend ourselves, and you will understand very well what that means. At the same time, we are dedicated to developing peace and security in our region. The arms race in our region does not contribute to building peace and security”.

In response to the journalist’s view that Armenia has good relations with Iran, which is an enemy of Israel, the foreign minister said Armenia is very insistent that building relations with one partner will not be at the expense of another partner. “But we also expect that all our partners will do the same. We are also very sensitive to the sensitivities of our partners”, he added.

Asked whether he is surprised and disappointed about Israel’s position refusing to recognize what happened to the Armenian people in 1915 as genocide, the Armenian FM responded: “It’s not a matter for me to be surprised. I represent a nation that still faces the pressure of justice denied over 105 years. My people are victories because we were supposed to be wiped off the face of the earth. The question of denied justice is about humanity. It is for Israel to decide whether to recognize [the Armenian Genocide] or not. It is not about Armenia, it is about Israel. It is our collective duty nowadays to reduce the risk of genocide and atrocities”.