It is a great pleasure to be among friends here in Yerevan. We share a longstanding strong relationship, a relationship based on historical solid foundations.
So, my presence here carries, Dear Zohrab, a strong symbolism of our friendship to you and the Armenian nation.
Just before I arrived at the Foreign Ministry, I had the huge privilege to pay my respects to the Memorial of the Victims of Armenian Genocide.
And I was profoundly touched, since our people share the deep pain of such crimes.
The memory of these tragic events must not be forgotten, so as to ensure that such crimes are never repeated.
We had with Zohrab a discussion first and foremost on developments in the region and also on our bilateral affairs.
We spare no effort in deepening and expanding our strong relationship even further, especially in the economic sector, where there is a lot of room for improvement.
I listened very carefully to the Minister’s analysis on the very worrisome flare up of the conflict in the southern Caucasus.
Actually, from Athens we have been following developments very closely.
We welcomed the news of the ceasefire brokered in Moscow.
And we are very much concerned over its violations.
The ceasefire must be strictly respected.
We firmly believe that lasting solutions can only be achieved through diplomatic means through a return to the negotiating table, under the auspices of the Minsk co-Chairs on the solid basis of international law.
As you know, we are facing very serious security challenges in our own immediate neighbourhood, but we strive to find diplomatic solutions, for the benefit of peace, stability and prosperity in the region.
In both cases, it is crucial that the international community makes a clear distinction between those who have sparked and fueled tensions and those who keep a constructive approach, and remain committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes.
What is also absolutely crucial is to put an end to foreign interference.
Ankara’s intervention in yet another conflict is really worrisome. It has raised serious concerns internationally.
Greece has been vocal on this issue from the outset. We were the first to ask for an EU vociferous reaction to the rekindling of the conflict, by calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire and for a return to efforts for a peaceful solution, under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group.
And we also suggested the EU’s call for a stop to the involvement of external parties.
As has, I was happy to hear, State Secretary Pompeo in his yesterday’s interview.
We have been equally vocal in condemning the unsubstantiated and offensive Azeri claims on Greece’s alleged involvement through a series of alleged illegal actions, in the conflict.
These unfounded allegations have been categorically rejected by us, both bilaterally, as well as in international fora.
We have even recalled our Ambassador in Baku for consultations in Athens.
I have personally underscored that there will be no tolerance for insults, lies and fake news, which it seems, unfortunately, have found fertile ground and reflect actions of other neighbouring countries.
I also had the opportunity to brief my friend Zohrab, on the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean.
All tensions and illegal actions, namely in Syria, Iraq, Cyprus, Libya, in the Eastern Mediterranean have a known common denominator. The common denominator is Turkey. And this, in defiance of EU calls for respect of international legitimacy.
Armenia’s support, as regards to the provocations and illegal activities of Turkey’s, is very much appreciated by both the Greek Government and the Greek people.
Today, Prime Minister Mitsotakis will be raising once more these issues within the European Council.
Our position has been crystal clear from the beginning: We have always been ready to engage in dialogue, in good faith, on the basis of international law, and the principle of good neighbourly relations.
Yet, instead of an invitation to exploratory talks, that by the way had been agreed, we faced, yet again, a resumption of Turkish provocations and illegal conduct.
That’s why, we have been continuously stressing the obvious: that Turkey should be judged by its deeds, not its words.
We have also talked about Cyprus, where again Turkey systematically undermines the efforts of the UN Secretary General for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.
Actually, it continues its illegal activities in the Republic’s EZZ and territorial waters and has recently opened the Varosha beach, in blatant violation of the relevant UNSC Resolutions.
An action that the Security Council called for its immediate reversal.
In stark contrast, trilateral cooperation between Greece, Armenia and Cyprus constitutes an exemplary pillar of stability and security in the region, sending positive messages to all directions. We are looking forward, of course, to enhancing it.
Finally, we touched, with Zohrab, upon the subject of Armenia’s relations with the EU.
And of course, we will keep providing every possible assistance, based on our excellent bilateral relations and our bilateral Memorandum of cooperation.
Concluding, dear Zohgrab, thank you again for your warm hospitality, for your warm welcome and may I express the hope that I will soon have the opportunity to continue our talks in Athens.
JOURNALIST: [inaudible)
N. DENDIAS: Well, let me say that what Greece is doing and what Ι’m acting upon, under instruction of my Prime Minister, Mr. Mitsotakis, is to create a community of understanding, a community that includes countries such as Greece and Armenia, that share common values for peace and stability in the region. We do not consider this understanding, in which many countries really have found in common ground -like Cyprus, Egypt, UAE- we do not consider this as a coalition against somebody. We consider it a society of peace loving nations that is pillar of stability in the region. And I have to say, speaking about Turkey, that we would love if Turkey would share those values with us and we hope that Turkey, sometime in the future, would share those values and become member of that community and of that understanding. But let me again be frank with you, as I said before, we think that Turkey, right now, is in the opposite side of the argument. Turkey is the common denominator behind aggression and instability of the region. And this unfortunately is something we have to clearly acknowledge.
October 16, 2020