In Case of Turkish Physical Intervention, We Will Have No Choice But to Face the Enemy Head On: Zohrab Mnatsakanyan's Interview with BBC Newshour

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan's interview with BBC Newshour.

Question: Mr. Minister, my first question concerns the accusations from Azerbaijan that Armenia's actions have provoked this clash.

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Armenia and Artsakh have no interest or intention to escalate the situation. We have rejected the military option for resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Therefore, it is completely unacceptable to enter this game of accusations. The attack against Nagorno-Karabakh and the tension remains extremely high.

Question: When you say the tension is high, are you considering the possibility of it escalating into a large-scale war?

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: We must make every effort to avoid that, as it would lead to the destabilization of the entire region, and we reject such an option. I want to emphasize again that we reject the military resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

Question: When you say you reject the military option, what steps are you taking to demonstrate that?

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: At this moment, the defense forces of Artsakh have no choice but to defend themselves, as they are currently responding to large-scale attacks from the Azerbaijani armed forces along the line of contact between Artsakh and Azerbaijan. The primary goal now is to repel the Azerbaijani attacks and compel them to return to the negotiating table.

Question: The recent outbreak of the conflict has resulted in civilian casualties. Do you acknowledge that this area is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan?

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Artsakh is exercising its right to self-determination. Artsakh is part of the historical territory of Armenia. The Armenian population of Artsakh has been subjected to mass discrimination during the entire period when, by the decision of the Bolshevik government, it was transferred to Azerbaijan.

Question: So the answer to that question is