Sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected, as such Cyprus is ready to support Armenia both politically and substantively, the Cypriot foreign minister Constantinos Kombos said during a press conference in Yerevan on Thursday.
Referring to developments in the Caucasus region, the minister emphasized that Cyprus has expressed unequivocal support for the people of Armenia from the outset and has sent humanitarian aid to meet the needs of forcibly displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh.
“Aggression, revisionism, displacement—all these are intolerable tools from the perspective of the international community. Coercion and the use of force cannot serve as alternatives to dialogue and peaceful dispute resolution,” Kombos said.
“Sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected, and adherence to the UN Charter is an important principle for us. As members of the international community, we are obligated to oppose aggression and revisionism and to support Armenia both politically and materially,” added Kombos and noted that Cyprus welcomes all efforts to normalize relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In response to a reporter’s question about the response by the international community, including the European Union and Cyprus, in the event of a violation of Armenia’s territorial integrity and Azerbaijan’s attempts to destabilize the region, the Cypriot foreign minister responded that all must be committed to the principles of the UN Charter. “There is no alternative.”
The Cypriot official added that his country has been a victim of aggression and illegal invasion for 50 years by Turkey.
Kombos’ visit to Armenia comes days after his Greek counterpart visited Yerevan and pledged to advance military cooperation with Armenia.
Armenia, Greece and Cyprus signed military cooperation agreements last fall, with the Greek foreign minister welcoming Armenia’s new military ties with France and India.
