Holding Armenian captives by Azerbaijan is a gross violation of international law. Armenian FM to OSCE PA President

 20:38,

YEREVAN, JUNE 16, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received the delegation led by the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Margareta Cederfelt.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia, Minister Mirzoyan stressed the role of the OSCE as the largest regional security organization, praised the cooperation with the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly as a parliamentary platform for ensuring comprehensive, indivisible security in the OSCE area of responsibility.

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Margareta Cederfelt agreed that the visit of the delegation is a good opportunity to outline new opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation.

During the meeting, the Armenian side presented the positions on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process, as well as the work carried out to normalize the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The Armenian Foreign Minister stressed that despite Azerbaijan's claims that Nagorno Karabakh no longer exists, that there is no Nagorno Karabakh conflict, there is a general consensus among the international community that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict remains unresolved.

Ararat Mirzoyan also stressed that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should find a comprehensive settlement within the framework of the only internationally authorized mediation mandate, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs’ format.

The Armenian Foreign Minister expressed concern over the continuous anti-Armenian and belligerent rhetoric of the Azerbaijani authorities, provocative actions against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. He condemned Azerbaijan's continued statements about aspirations towards the sovereign territory of Armenia, which seriously question the sincerity of Azerbaijan's statements on achieving peace in the region.

Ararat Mirzoyan drew the interlocutors' attention to the fact that in gross violation of the norms of international humanitarian law, Azerbaijan continues to hold Armenian prisoners of war and civilians hostage, as well as pursues a targeted policy of destroying and distorting Armenian religious and cultural heritage in the territories that passed under its control after the 44-day war. In this context, the importance of practical steps by the international community to fully address these urgent issues was emphasized.