Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan met with United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on the margins of the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, MFA press service informed NEWS.am.

The sides praised Armenia's close cooperation with the UN, particularly with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Ararat Mirzoyan said this year is symbolic, as it marks the 30th anniversary of Armenia's membership in the UN. In this regard, the Minister stressed that Armenia has established itself as a responsible and reliable partner of the international community and consistently contributes to the promotion of multilateralism, protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the world.

Presenting the situation resulting from the 44-day war unleashed by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces against Artsakh, Mirzoyan stressed the importance of unimpeded participation of international organizations in the processes on the ground, for the full resolution of humanitarian issues in Nagorno-Karabakh, including the implementation of humanitarian missions by the UN High Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs.

He noted that Azerbaijan's aggression against Artsakh and its people was accompanied by gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, which have been documented in detail and submitted to international law enforcement structures.

Mirzoyan stressed that Armenian prisoners of war and civilians are still illegally detained in Azerbaijan, and official Baku refuses to release and return them, grossly violating the international law. Attention was also drawn to pre-planned acts of vandalism and destruction of Armenian cultural heritage in the territories taken under the control of the Azerbaijani armed forces as a result of the war against Nagorno-Karabakh.

The sides also exchanged views on the ongoing reforms in Armenia and the achievements made in them, particularly in the fields of strengthening democracy, promoting human rights and the rule of law, as well as the judicial system and the fight against corruption. The interlocutors highly appreciated the coordinated interaction in this process with the international structures.

In her turn, the UN Commissioner for Human Rights stressed the importance of Armenia's leadership in advancing the agenda of prevention of genocides and crimes against humanity.