Armenia, like all Armenians around the world, including in France, supports Artsakh: Sarkisian's interview with France 24

President Armen Sarkisian gave an interview to the French television channel France 24. In response to a question about the recent ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, he said: "The Armenian side was not the one to violate it. I must ask my Azerbaijani counterparts—why did Azerbaijan start a war against the people of the Republic of Artsakh on September 27? Armenia, like all Armenians around the world, including in France, supports Artsakh. More than 20 years of peace negotiations led by the OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by France, the USA, and Russia, were quite successful.

In complicated issues like this, there are hundreds of matters to resolve. The Minsk process reduced the number of such issues, successfully resolving many problems and creating a certain atmosphere of trust. They were close to a resolution, with only a few key political questions remaining that required political will and compromise. However, on September 27, Azerbaijan started a war. As you know, after some time, a ceasefire agreement was reached through Russian mediation, but that ceasefire was violated by Azerbaijan. Therefore, I believe this question should be directed more towards Azerbaijan—why did they start the war and violate the ceasefire?

When Azerbaijan started the war and violated the ceasefire, they also began shelling Stepanakert, which is the capital of the Republic of Artsakh. The co-chairs, including the French side, have been involved for the third time in establishing a more sustainable ceasefire, but again, Azerbaijan violated it. It seems they believe they can resolve the conflict through war, rather than dialogue.

In response to accusations from Azerbaijan's defense ministry claiming Armenia used weapons to attack Azerbaijani military positions, Sarkisian stated, "I am not in a position to respond to the Azerbaijani defense minister. I do not think he is correct. You can ask my country's or the Republic of Artsakh's defense minister about that.”

Sarkisian addressed the allegations of Turkey sending Syrian jihadists to Nagorno-Karabakh, stating, "First of all, I don't think it's right to ask for evidence from the president of a republic. Secondly, the evidence is there. The militants are there; they are not just in Nagorno-Karabakh. These same militants were in Syria and Libya. It is the same Turkish agency that brought them to Azerbaijan. The evidence is there."

He emphasized the difference between the current conflict and the war in the early 1990s: “Back then, there were some jihadist mercenaries from Afghanistan and elsewhere, but they were individuals. This time, we are talking about Islamist militants or terrorists, organizations that are banned in various countries, including France. They are now in Azerbaijani territory, fighting against the Armenians of Artsakh, and all this is organized by Turkey.”

Focusing on the need for the international community to pressure Turkey to withdraw from the conflict, Sarkisian stated that while Russia has signed a security agreement with Armenia, it also has ties with Azerbaijan. He noted, "Historically, Russia has proven that Armenian-Russian relations are among the most important for both peoples. We trust each other.”

Regarding whether there is a need for military involvement from Russia in the conflict, he said, "Not at all. First of all, the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh have already proven they can defend their country. They demonstrated this even during the first war in the 1990s. Secondly, it is not necessary to involve Russia or any other country in this. Instead of involving Russia, we should talk about excluding Turkey, which has a destructive role in this matter.”

In discussing the Minsk Group, Sarkisian expressed hope that NATO and the European Union would pressure Turkey and Azerbaijan to end the war and initiate a ceasefire. He concluded by stressing the importance of returning to the negotiating table and addressing all outstanding issues, including the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh.