Foreign Minister Ara Aivazyan on Wednesday met with ambassador representing the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries in Armenia – Russian Ambassador Sergey Kopirkin, French Ambassador Jonathan Lacotte and U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy.
Issues related to the post-war situation, regional security and peace in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone were on the agenda of the meeting. The need to resume the peace process within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs was stressed.
Aivazyan stressed the need for full implementation of the basic principles of settlement, emphasizing in this context the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination and security.
Presenting the process of implementing the November 9 statement on establishment of ceasefire and deployment of peacekeepers, Aivazyan emphasized the urgent need to fully address the humanitarian issues, namely the return of prisoners of war and other detainees.
The foreign minister and the ambassadors exchanged views on the humanitarian situation in Artsakh and the steps taken to address the needs of the Armenians of Artsakh.
The continuous involvement of international organizations, in particular the United Nations and its specialized agencies, was specially emphasized in this regard.
Aivazyan also emphasized the urgency of taking steps to preserve the Armenian historical, cultural and religious heritage in the territories of Artsakh under Azerbaijani control, taking into account the efforts made by Azerbaijan to destroy the Armenian historical, cultural and religious heritage or to distort its identity. The sides also exchanged views on a number of issues of mutual interest.
