YEREVAN, JUNE 17, ARMENPRESS. During their meeting in Yerevan today, the Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić discussed also the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the consequences of the aggression against Artsakh in 2020, and the issues of normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“I particularly emphasized the fact that by attempting to resolve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict by the use of force in 2020, as well as by invading the sovereign territory of Armenia, Azerbaijan has grossly violated its commitments undertaken with the accession to the Council of Europe, and this must be properly addressed by the Council of Europe and its member-states”, the Armenian FM said during a joint press conference with the CoE Secretary General following their meeting.

The FM said he reaffirmed the readiness of the Armenian government to put efforts towards the establishment of stability and peace in the region. “In this context, the addressing of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is fundamental, which should include the provisions of ensuring the security and all the rights of the people of Artsakh, and final determination of the status of Nagorno Karabakh”, he noted.

“The people of Artsakh have the same rights as everyone and the fact of being in the conflict zone cannot deprive the Armenians of Artsakh of their universal fundamental rights”, Mirzoyan highlighted. “The humanitarian issues resulting from the aggression unleashed against Artsakh - the issues of the return of Armenian prisoners of war held in Azerbaijan and the humanitarian access to Artsakh remain unresolved, the politicization of which is unacceptable. The Anti-Armenian and warmongering rhetoric, physical and psychological terror against the civilian population are unacceptable in the same way.

We believe that the Council of Europe, its relevant bodies and leaders should be more determined at least in the issues of Armenian prisoners of war and the humanitarian access to Artsakh, and put utmost effort so that the the interim decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, PACE Resolutions and the provisions of the memorandum of the Commissioner for Human Rights issues on November 8, 2021, be respected”, he added.