Armenian ambassador to Germany severely critical of Russia, CSTO

ArmInfo.Thanks to the solidarity of the Armenian society and the efforts of the Armenian  government, it was possible to mitigate the problems faced by forcibly displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh and avoid the establishment of tent cities in Armenia, Armenian Ambassador to Germany Viktor Yengibaryan stated in an interview with Loyal - Das Magazin fur Sicherheitspolitik.

During the interview, the diplomat touched upon security in the South  Caucasus, ethnic cleansing of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh and  peacebuilding.

Yengibaryan also expressed confidence that Armenia and Azerbaijan are  technically very close to a "peace treaty," but Azerbaijan's  political will is lacking.

"The only precondition for prosperity in our region is peace. If  peace is established, it will finally be possible to open borders,  have free movement of people and goods, which will benefit  Azerbaijan, the Turkey-Armenia border will open. This will be  beneficial for everyone," the diplomat said. 

In this vein, he added that the "Crossroads of the World" initiative  of the Armenian government is the most important part of the peace  program, and it will become an important part of North-South,  East-West trade and economic relations.

At the same time, Yengibaryan emphasized that Armenia is taking steps  towards diversifying arms procurement markets and creating a  professional army.

"Russia is a strategic partner of Armenia, but it is also a strategic  partner of Azerbaijan and has sold billions of dollars worth of  weapons to the latter since 2011, which is not the case with Armenia.

In this sense, the statement that Russia is the force protecting  Armenia is incorrect. The CSTO did not support Armenia not only  militarily, but also politically, so we have serious questions  regarding the meaning of this structure," said the Armenian diplomat.

In conclusion, he touched upon the activities of the EU civilian  mission in Armenia and assured that it plays a positive role in the  region. "From Germany, as the largest EU state, we expect active  actions regarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of  Armenia. The influence of Germany as a state that has good relations  with Turkey is also important for us," Yengibaryan said.