What Assistance Has Armenia Requested from Turkey? Details from the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson

The spokesperson of the Armenian Foreign Ministry responds to recent statements from Turkey regarding assistance in the fight against the new type of coronavirus:

The Turkish side has declared that Armenia has requested assistance from Turkey in connection with the fight against the new type of coronavirus and that Turkey is ready to provide that assistance. At the same time, Turkey's Foreign Ministry has invited the Chinese ambassador in Turkey to clarify the inscriptions on the assistance packages provided to Armenia.

How do you comment on this?

We have already mentioned that continuous efforts are being made by Armenia to repatriate our citizens who found themselves in a difficult situation, especially from countries where the new type of coronavirus pandemic has spread widely. In this context, I would like to mention that on Friday, 73 of our citizens who expressed a desire to return from Turkey have already been transferred to Armenia. In this matter, official channels of the Armenian Foreign Ministry have collaborated with relevant Turkish and Georgian authorities. Cooperation with the Turkish side has been limited only to this scope, and Armenia has not sought any other assistance beyond this framework.

It is important to note that under the ongoing land blockade by Turkey and the absence of diplomatic relations, the possibilities for cooperation between the two countries are significantly limited and require genuine goodwill and the establishment of trust. Unfortunately, some statements from the Turkish side regarding the fight against the coronavirus do not contribute to the development of a depoliticized and humanitarian atmosphere for cooperation. Particularly regrettable is the disrespectful attitude and unnecessary politicization regarding assistance provided to Armenia by a third country, as well as towards the friendship of peoples and national symbols.