Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan today received US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Erika Olson.

Armenian News-NEWS.am learned from the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia that Minister Mirzoyan congratulated Olson on assuming office and wished her success.

Mirzoyan and Olson discussed a broad range of issues related to Armenia-US relations, attached importance to the effective cooperation in the sectors of democratic development, strengthening of rule of law, human rights protection and anti-corruption and touched upon the joint steps to be taken within the scope of the U.S.-Armenia Strategic Dialogue and the programs that the USAID is implementing in Armenia.

During the meeting, the parties exchanged views on regional security and stability and underscored the need for a comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the scope of the mandate of the Co-Chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group, attaching importance to the five-party meeting held in September in New York.

The parties also discussed the humanitarian situation created as a result of Azerbaijan’s aggression against Artsakh. In this context, Minister Mirzoyan stressed the need for the unconditional repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and other persons being held, as well as the importance of preservation of the Armenian religious, historical and cultural heritage of Artsakh in the territories that are currently under Azerbaijani control.