Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated on Monday that Armenia has sent its first humanitarian aid to Iran since the war broke out there on 18 February.
Mirzoyan elaborated that the aid was ‘mainly in the form of medicine’.
‘It could not have been done otherwise’, Mirzoyan said, underscoring the historically friendly ties between the two nations.
Mirzoyan, however, did not elaborate on when the aid was sent.
When asked by opposition MP Christine Vardanyan why the government did not announce the aid had been sent, Mirzoyan said they did not see the need to publicly ‘trumpet’ this.
Last week, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed the topic of aid to Iran during his weekly press briefing, expressing Armenia’s readiness to provide humanitarian assistance if needed.
‘Iran does not need to appeal to us regarding humanitarian aid, because if we see any humanitarian need that we can support, we will take that step ourselves’, Pashinyan said at the time.
Marut Vanyan
Earlier in March, Pashinyan touched upon the war in Iran and the developments in the Middle East during his speech at the EU Parliament, highlighting Armenia’s good relations with almost all sides involved in the conflict.
Pashinyan noted that his government was ‘pained’ by the ongoing war; but added that it was unlikely for Armenia to have a significant impact on the conflict.
‘Against the backdrop of such an international crisis of such magnitude, we are a small, modest state, and we can only pray for the repose of the souls of all the victims and for the wisdom of our partner leaders to find diplomatic solutions as soon as possible’.
Arshaluys Barseghyan
Armenia has good relations with Iran, with whom it shares an open border, unlike Turkey and Azerbaijan. There is also a modest population of ethnic Armenians in Iran, numbering some 60,000 to 80,000, according to various estimates.
Armenia’s government programme for 2021–2026 describes the bilateral relations with Iran as ‘special’, adding that Yerevan is seeking ‘to further develop’ ties. Despite Armenia fostering closer bonds to the West, including the US, Armenia has continued to maintain its cordial relationship with Iran.
