The Greek government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has taken all the necessary actions to welcome expatriates from Armenia, to raise the issue in international forums, especially at the EU level, and to have a coordinated mission of humanitarian actions, as the minister mentioned of Foreign Affairs, Giorgos Gerapetritis, answering a relevant topical question addressed to him by “Niki” MP, Tasos Oikonomopoulos.

The MP called on the Minister of Foreign Affairs to inform the Parliament about Greece’s practical support for the struggling people of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh). As he noted, Azerbaijan’s recent military operation on September 19 and 20 in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), grossly violating the Ceasefire Agreement of November 9, 2020, has resulted in tens of thousands of Armenians being displaced from their ancestral homes. The aforementioned unilateral actions of Azerbaijan constitute acts of ethnic cleansing and therefore should be met with a corresponding and decisive reaction by the international community, according to the MP.

Addressing the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Economopoulos emphasized: “You personally, both at the UN Security Council, on September 20, 2023, and in your speech at the Center for European Studies, Harvard, in Boston on September 25, spoke about aggression in various forms. You mentioned Ukraine, Africa, the Sahel, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Libya, the Middle East. However, you did not make the slightest mention of the military actions in Artsakh. So, Armenia is far away? Didn’t you find a single word to say?’

The Minister of Foreign Affairs pointed out that the relations between Greece and Armenia go beyond the typical friendly relations, which are developed in the context of diplomacy, they are relations that have deep roots in tradition and language. Greece was also one of the first countries to recognize both the Armenian Genocide in 1915 and the independence of Armenia.

Referring to what is happening in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned this attack from the beginning, as underlined by Mr. Gerapetritis, who informed that he is also in constant open communication with the competent Minister of Foreign Affairs in order to coordinate actions and the country is provided with whatever assistance he deems necessary.

From the first moment, Greece was available to welcome expatriates from the Nagorno-Karabakh region and provide humanitarian aid, and our country is already taking care of the mission, above and beyond the special mechanism that the EU has activated. It depends from the Armenian government if it wants to send expatriates to Greece which is ready and available to receive them at any time, according to the minister.

In relation to the international fora, Mr. Gerapetritis said that he has taken the necessary actions, so that the issue internationalizes and takes the place it deserves in the international bodies. At the same time, Mr. Gerapetritis has requested at the next meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, that the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs be called in order to expose the situation that currently exists in Armenia and constitutes a profound insult, humanitarian and political.