15:58, 13 December 2023
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. Closing the chapter of conflicts and establishing dignified peace in the South Caucasus requires clear commitment of all neighboring countries and the international community’s strong and sincere support, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said at a joint press conference with Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna.
“My last meeting with the Azerbaijani foreign minister took place on September 18 in New York during the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, except for a brief conversation in Brussels two days ago. Only three months have passed but significant developments have taken place in the region. In September we were discussing the issues of rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, issues of lifting the illegal blockade of Lachin Corridor, but the developments that took place a day after our meeting, the Azerbaijani attacks against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, significantly changed the picture in the region. Today there are almost no Armenians left in Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of the ethnic cleansing, and over 100,000 Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh have become refugees and found shelter in Armenia,” Mirzoyan said.
Mirzoyan said the Armenian government is taking effective steps to meet the needs of the forcibly displaced persons of NK.
He thanked the government of Estonia for providing support for the refugees.
“The opening of the Yerevan office of the Estonian Refugee Council, which will take place today, is very meaningful. We also appreciate the statements by representatives of the executive and legislative bodies of Estonia supporting our efforts in the direction of establishing peace and stability in the region,” Mirzoyan said.
Mirzoyan said that advancing the peace process is possible if Azerbaijan shows unequivocal commitment to the process and the principles of mutual recognition of borders, recognition of territorial integrity without ambiguities, as well as unblocking of regional transport connections based on the well-known principles. “In this sense we attach importance to the Crossroads of Peace project developed by Armenia,” Mirzoyan said.
The FM said that the abovementioned principles have been supported by the entire international community, and are also reflected in the July statement made by Charles Michel, the President of the European Council.