18:17, 1 March, 2022
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan met with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on March 1 within the framework of the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia, the parties praised Armenia's close cooperation with the UN, in particular with the UN Human Rights Office. Ararat Mirzoyan noted that the year is symbolic, it marks the 30th anniversary of Armenia's membership in the UN. In this regard, the Foreign Minister stressed that Armenia has established itself as a responsible, reliable partner of the international community and has consistently contributed to the promotion of multilateralism, as well as the protection and promotion of fundamental human rights and fundamental freedoms in the world.
Presenting the situation created by the 44-day war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, Ararat Mirzoyan stressed the importance of unhindered involvement of international organizations in the full settlement of humanitarian issues in Nagorno Karabakh, including the implementation of humanitarian missions by the UN High Commissioner.
Minister Mirzoyan noted that the Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh, its people, was accompanied by gross violations of human rights, international humanitarian law, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, which were documented in detail and presented to international human rights organizations.
Ararat Mirzoyan stressed that Armenian prisoners of war are still illegally detained in Azerbaijan, civilians, whom official Baku refuses to release and return, which is a gross violation of international law. Attention was also drawn to the planned actions of vandalism and destruction of the Armenian cultural heritage in the territories under the control of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces as a result of the war against Nagorno Karabakh.
The parties also exchanged views on the ongoing reforms in Armenia and the achievements made within their framework, in particular, in the areas of strengthening democracy, promoting human rights, the rule of law, the judiciary, and the fight against corruption. The interlocutors highly assessed the coordinated cooperation with international structures in this process.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reaffirmed Armenia's commitment to advancing the agenda for the prevention of genocide and crimes against humanity.