Al Arabiya: Why does this old conflict within these two countries get renewed?
Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: This is not now, this is just the practical display of the continued consistent Azerbaijani intention to seek a military solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, to use force. They have been threatening force very consistently over these years, and especially these past months. After July there has been a very aggressive rhetoric combined with aggressive actions, which were indicating military escalation and today they dared to go in that direction, use force, and seek military solution, which is totally rejected by Armenia and by Nagorno-Karabakh. Both Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh have been very consistent in that there is no alternative to the peaceful settlement. We are absolutely ready and absolutely resolute to repel this aggression once again. There was one aggression in 2016, there was one aggression in July 2020, and now this is their third attempt to find a military solution, to bring a military solution to this conflict. This will be repelled again, and the resolve of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and the people of Armenia has been and remains very strong.
Al Arabiya: Armenia is saying that Turkey is intervening, mainly in a hostile manner. Do you think that there are some other countries involved?
Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Turkey is acting in an extremely destabilizing manner, extremely hostile. It is a new development in this conflict, where they have positioned themselves in a very aggressive way against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh: they have been supplying military equipment to Azerbaijan; they have been holding military exercises in these past months; they have transferred equipment there. We are observing Turkish military aircrafts in the air, in the vicinity of the line of contact between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan. We have been receiving very disturbing reports about the recruitment of terrorists from areas, which are controlled by Turkey in Syria. We have been observing the strengthening of the military presence in Azerbaijan and this was all also laced in one-sided unilateral support to Azerbaijan and very aggressive rhetoric to Armenia.
Al Arabiya: Do you think Armenia is prepared for military confrontation with Azerbaijan now?
Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh have full capacity to defend, to protect the freedom of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, the security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and the security of Armenia. Our resolve is very strong. There is a very strong sense of unity and capacity to defend. In Nagorno-Karabakh earlier in the day they have declared a martial law and mobilization. The same is happening in Armenia. The people are united. And our capacities, military capacities, and the spirit are very strong to repel this aggression against our people and against the freedom and the security of our people. We are totally prepared. But we have been rejecting the military solution, we have been rejecting it with the absolute resolve all these years. It is on the basis of our confidence that we know that the military solution will bring destabilization of the region and catastrophe for many people in Azerbaijan and elsewhere in the region. The military solution is not an option. We have been very insistent on that. This needs to be resolved strictly through pe...
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