Armenia is ready to reach long-lasting peace and stability in the South Caucasus, but peace cannot be achieved by the good will of one party alone, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said at the Eastern Partnership Foreign Affairs Ministerial Meeting.
“It is difficult to imagine lasting peace in the region with so-called “Trophy park” in Baku, with continued hate speech and xenophobia by the high officials of Azerbaijan, with continued imprisonment of Armenian POWs and other detainees, many cases of enforced disappearances, with continued infiltration and presence of Azerbaijani troops into sovereign territory of Armenia, the last attempt of which occurred just yesterday. As much as Armenia expresses its readiness for de-escalation, Azerbaijan continues provocations in Nagorno-Karabakh and in the Armenian-Azerbaijani borders inflicting casualties among civilians. As much as Armenia calls for opening of regional communication, Azerbaijan continues to demand a so-called ‘corridor’,” the Foreign Minister stated.
He emphasized that “generic calls on both sides under the circumstances when Armenia makes credible steps towards peace, while Azerbaijan continues the escalation of the situation, may indicate indifference and lack of commitment from our international partners.”
“If you want to support us to reach stability in the region, then there is no other way than being frank on these issues and communicating to us your vision of human rights and use of force in our region without applying double standards. We stand ready to be a genuine partner with the European Union in this regard,” Minister Mirzoyan said.
“In defiance of UN Secretary General’s call for Global ceasefire Azerbaijan unleashed military aggression against people of Nagorno-Karabakh, seriously undermining the situation in the region. Moreover they tried to create a dangerous precedent of an attempt to resolve protracted conflicts in Europe through massive use of force and involvement of foreign terrorist fighters and mercenaries from the Middle East and North Africa. Breaking three agreements of ceasefire Azerbaijan finally agreed to stop the hostilities with the Trilateral statement of November 9,” the Foreign Minister reminded.
“And yet the situation in the region remains fragile. Security and realities cannot be built on the basis of massive human rights violations, thousands of lost human lives, casualties, displacements and disruption of international peace process. The use of force against the people, who are aspiring to implement their basic rights, including the right for free and secure life and the right to self determination, does not resolve the conflict. And all the statements by official Baku that Nagorno-Karabakh conflict does not exist any more do not correspond to reality as the very root of the conflict is not addressed. We firmly believe that the conflict should find its political resolution under the auspices and within the mandate of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship,” he said.
“I call on all the partners that are interested in a comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to express unconditional and full support to the peace process with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship,” he noted.
