On March 27, at the UN General Assembly, Armenia voted against the Resolution on Ukraine, which recognizes the territorial integrity of the country and considers the March 16 referendum in the Crimea illegal. The voting created a great tension for the Armenian community living in Ukraine. In this regard, in the conversation with Aravot.am, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Armenia to Ukraine Andranik Manukyan told what work has been done in Ukraine and how finally they succeeded to mitigate the situation in the relationship with the new authorities of Ukraine. To our question of now, we are joining the Customs Union and you take on a compound responsibility, whether it may create problems for our countrymen, Andranik Manukyan responded, “My researches show that no problem will arise in the near future. The worst peak was the day when Armenia voted against at the UN General Assembly. It, of course, created a great tension in Ukraine. Ukrainian mass media, almost everyone, began to disseminate anti-Armenian propaganda. Of course, I did everything to prevent it. I managed it. I came up with interviews through all Ukrainian mass media and provided an explanation on why Armenia made this step. I had a meeting with representatives of current authorities of Ukraine, and different statesmen and cultural figures of Ukraine. People realized that Armenia really had no way to act otherwise, because we had this problem for 23 years. For 23 years, we prove to the world that the 1991 referendum in Karabakh was legitimate and we are asking the world to accept the results of the referendum. That day, we could not say the UN no, we do not accept the results of the referendum in the Crimea. I had explained it, Ukrainians understood it very well, and now the situation is very normal.” Mr. Manukyan said that he personally has done everything possible and impossible to ease the tension.
HRIPSIME JEBEJYAN
