YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Armenia expressed "serious concerns" Thursday over overnight US strikes on Iraq–directed against its suspected nuclear and chemical weapons facilities–and called for a "diplomatic" settlement of the intensifying crisis.
"The strikes are causing serious concerns to the Armenian government," Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian told reporters.
"We hope that the bombardment will be halted very quickly and the problem will be solved by diplomatic means," he said.
Oskanian argued that Washington did not get the international community’s go-ahead to fire cruise missiles and conduct air raids against Iraq.
"Judging from the reaction of other states–[the strikes] were not agreed and coordinated with the other members of the UN Security Council," he said. "We have always been against the use of force."
