STEPANAKERT. – A delegation, led by Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) Foreign Minister Masis Mayilian, on Friday met—in Australia—with Mayor Jerome Laxale of the city of Ryde.

Mayilian stressed the importance of the Ryde City Council’s unanimous adoption of the resolution on establishing friendly relations with Stepanakert, the Artsakh capital city, on the eve of the Artsakh delegation’s working visit to Australia, press service of the Artsakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. According to the FM, the adoption of such a resolution is another proof of the principled stance of the Ryde city authorities in supporting the aspiration of the people of Artsakh for free and peaceful development, which has already been expressed on the May 22, 2018 resolution adopted on the 30th anniversary of the national liberation movement of the people of Artsakh.

Touching upon the international relations of the Republic of Artsakh, Mayilian noted that the establishment and development of decentralized cooperation between Artsakh and foreign cities is among the priorities of Artsakh authorities , and said this enables the communities and regions of Artsakh to be involved in international processes, aimed at strengthening the friendly relations between peoples, exchanging knowhow in various domains, and promoting human rights. The Artsakh FM stressed that the development of decentralized cooperation is also important amid Azerbaijan’s continued efforts to isolate Artsakh and to deprive its citizens of the advantage of international cooperation.

For his part, Mayor Laxale reaffirmed the commitment of Ryde authorities to the fulfillment of the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination and support in their quest to build a democratic society.

During the meeting, Masis Mayilian handed Stepanakert Mayor Suren Grigoryan’s thank-you letter to Jerome Laxale, and in which Grigoryan expressed his gratitude for the adoption of the aforesaid resolution and invited Laxale to visit Stepanakert.