December 23, 2017 - 11:47 AMT
Armenia’s support for UN’s Jerusalem resolution based on national interests

Armenia’s support for a UN resolution condemning U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital is based on national and state interests, deputy parliament speaker Eduard Sharmazanov has told reporters.

Armenia joined 128 other nations on Thursday, December 21 when the United Nations voted overwhelmingly to condemn U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel despite threats from the U.S. to pull funding from the world body.

According to Sharmazanov, Armenia remains true to its position of resolving conflicts through negotiations.

“As a country involved in a conflict itself, Armenia can’t see any solution without a dialogue and extensive discussions between the sides,” Sharmazanov said, according to Aysor.am.

Citing the Armenian community in Jerusalem, the lawmaker said that the voting stemmed from the national and state interests of Armenia.

Weighing in on the Crimea issue, Sharmazanov said that Armenia has always prioritized the people’s right to self-determination.

Armenia voted against a resolution titled "Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol", submitted to the United Nations by Ukraine in co-authorship with 30 countries, the UN’s voting records reveal.