As part of the work of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the CSTO, the foreign ministers of the member states were received by the President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, in capital Minsk on Tuesday, informs the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Armenia.
During the meeting, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan informed the attendees about the latest developments in Armenia’s region, particularly on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan and in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Minister Mirzoyan, reminding once again about Azerbaijan's ongoing occupation of the sovereign territory of Armenia, a CSTO member state, reflected on Azerbaijan's continued aggressive actions against Armenia's sovereign territory and internationally recognized borders, the targeting of Armenian positions and civilian facilities on the border with Armenia in recent days, emphasizing their destabilizing effect on the overall regional stability and security. In this context, FM Mirzoyan emphasized the imperative of a targeted response by the CSTO.
The FM of Armenia touched also upon to the tense situation in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, including the provocations of Azerbaijan in the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping troops, the incident that took place near the Hakari bridge on June 15, as well as Azerbaijan’s illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor that has been going on for more than six months, resulting in humanitarian problems and the deepening risk of Armenian ethnic cleansing by Azerbaijan.
Minister Mirzoyan emphasized that the mentioned actions of Azerbaijan are aimed at hindering the efforts of not only Armenia, but also all parties interested in ensuring stability and predictability in the region, to achieve stability in the South Caucasus.
Presenting the vision of the Armenian side aimed at establishing long-term peace in the region, Ararat Mirzoyan stressed the key importance of giving up the policy of force or the threat of force, providing solutions to existing problems through constructive dialogue, among other issues, addressing the security and rights of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Next, Armenian FM Ararat Mirzoyan participated in the session—with a narrow and extended format—of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the CSTO member countries.
Matters on the agenda of the session were discussed, including the CSTO activities and regional developments.
At the narrow-format session of the CSTO as well, FM Ararat Mirzoyan reflected on the recent events in the South Caucasus, emphasizing that against the background of the escalation of conflicts with the use of force and the unstable situation in the South Caucasus, the importance of clear assessments regarding the unexamined fulfillment of contractual obligations, appropriate conclusions by the CSTO, and gross violations of Armenia's borders are becoming more evident.
