Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan received the heads of the diplomatic missions accredited in Armenia today.

According to the Foreign Ministry's press service, Minister Mirzoyan drew the ambassadors' attention to the situation that has emerged in recent days as a result of Azerbaijan's provocative and aggressive actions in Nagorno-Karabakh. Mirzoyan said the Azerbaijani armed forces, having once again violated the trilateral statement on ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone made by the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan on November 9, 2020, carried out aggression in the Russian peacekeeping forces, resulting in nineteen servicemen of the Defense Army of Nagorno-Karabakh being wounded and two killed.

The Armenian Foreign Minister particularly stressed that the Azerbaijani side has officially and openly taken responsibility for the aggression, and the clear proof of that are the statements of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry and Foreign Ministry, and the violations recorded by the Russian peacekeeping forces deployed in Nagorno Karabakh.

Minister Mirzoyan noted that the aggression on the part of Azerbaijan had been preceded by the letter, presented to the Russian peacekeeping contingent about transfer of control over Lachin corridor, according to which the Azerbaijani side plans to change the route, passing through the current Lachin corridor, which is a rough violation of trilateral statement of November 9, as the point 6 of the statement clearly says that within the next three years, there should be defined the route of the corridor by agreement of the parties (that is Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan).

Ararat Mirzoyan also stressed that the efforts of the Armenian side towards achieving stability and peace in the region are responded with Armenophobic rhetoric, aggressive statements and unconcealed threats to use force. He qualified unacceptable the continuing policy of the Azerbaijani side towards ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Armenian Foreign Minister also touched upon the humanitarian problems caused by the 44-day war, which are still unresolved, noting that the Azerbaijani side holds Armenian POWs and civilians hostage in violation of international humanitarian law.

The Armenian Foreign Minister reiterated Armenia's position aimed at the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict under the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, the only international format mandated by the UN Security Council.

It was also stressed that the promotion of the Armenian side's agenda for achieving peace in the South Caucasus requires coordinated and united support of the international community.