More than 100,000 people fled Nagorno-Karabakh for Armenia after Azerbaijan’s large-scale attack, Armenian president Vahagn Khachaturyan said in an interview with
France2 TV.
The President explained that these Armenians “had to choose between staying there, fighting or moving towards the Republic of Armenia.”
“I believe that the decision they made was the right one, they were thus able to save a hundred thousand lives,” said the Armenian President.
The President also referred to the initiatives of various international structures aimed at solving the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh in recent months and noted that although the efforts of France and various prestigious structures in the direction of finding a peaceful solution to the problem and finding solutions are appreciable, they were not enough to unblock the Lachin humanitarian corridor and restrain Azerbaijan and exclude the use of force.
“Here we need to understand another, broader aspect, it is not only about Nagorno Karabakh. In any part of the world, how will we deal with similar problems, what levers are there to stop such developments? Should we wait for catastrophic events to happen, and then let’s just document the existence of victims, emigrants, dispossessed and forcibly displaced people? This is a problem that concerns not only Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, but also people living in any place in the world,” the President said.
Asked about the delivery of weapons for which France “gave its agreement” on Tuesday, the Armenian president said he “needs a new military partner.”
Khachaturyan noted that Azerbaijan’s military aggression against the sovereign territory of Armenia on September 11-12, 2022, made it clear that the existing security systems were not sufficient for the full protection of the territorial integrity of Armenia, therefore, Armenia is taking steps to increase the country’s defense capability by developing relations with partners, including France, and creating new ties. At the same time, the President emphasized that cooperation with France and other countries in the military field is not directed against any third country and has only a defensive purpose.
Regarding the relations with Azerbaijan, the President of the Republic said: “Our main goal is to live in peace with our neighbors, with Azerbaijan. We support the establishment of long-term and stable peace in the region, this is what our policy is aimed at, and we expect support from our international partners in this matter.”
