During an interview with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, a Turkish journalist cited the view that Azerbaijan is currently an obstacle to relations between Armenia and Turkey.
"A moment ago, you spoke about the importance of peace and good neighborliness in the region. We know that there are also agreements between America and Israel regarding Iran, and they are talking about the possibility of something military. How will this affect Armenia, in terms of negotiations with Azerbaijan? How do you assess the policy pursued by Trump and Israel towards Iran and can it have any interconnected impact on Armenia-Turkey relations?" the journalist asked.
"You know, for example, last year we recognized the independence of Palestine, and I must say that this was also an expression of our regionalization policy. And the position of our immediate neighbors, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Turkey, did not play a secondary role in this decision. And in this regard, of course, regional situations concern and worry us, I am talking about negative events, and naturally, when some positive development occurs, we try to contribute to those positive developments to the best of our ability.
Of course, we also have good relations with the United States of America. This year we signed a document on strategic partnership. We have good relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and naturally, any tension in their relations worries us. And, as I have already said, peace in the region is also a factor and guarantee of Armenia's well-being. This does not mean that we are talking only about peace in Armenia, because of course, I can give you the example of 2008, when events took place in Georgia. You know the military situation related to South Ossetia, which very quickly had a negative impact on the socio-economic life of Armenia.
I mean, this is precisely the very concrete justification of that ideology of regionalization, because it is impossible for there to be no stability and peace in the region, and for a single country to enjoy stability and peace. It does not happen so. And in my opinion, this is precisely the fundamental change in perception that our region needs. And in that sense, of course, it is disturbing, but on the other hand, there are also certain signals that there is a desire to overcome differences through negotiations, peacefully, diplomatically. And I hope that we will go with that scenario, because the stability and peace of the Islamic Republic of Iran is important to us, as well as all the countries in the region. And we are trying to conduct our policies with this logic, and wherever we have an effort to make, because understandably not everything depends on us, we will spare no efforts," Pashinyan answered.
