On January 14, the annual press conference of Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh Republic) Masis Mayilian took place.
Annual Press Conference of the Foreign Minister of Artsakh Masis Mayilian
STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 15, ARTSAKHPRESS: The Foreign Minister briefed on the activities carried out by the Foreign Ministry during 2018, noting that the MFA had continued its activities in line with the country's foreign policy priorities defined in the program of the Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan for 2017-2020. Speaking of the results achieved in the process of the international recognition of Artsakh and the development and strengthening of decentralized cooperation, Masis Mayilian noted that on May 22, 2018, Australia’s Ryde City Council unanimously adopted a resolution supporting the independence of the Republic of Artsakh.
The Foreign Minister of Artsakh also touched upon the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict settlement process. Masis Mayilian stressed the importance of excluding the prospect of war and ensuring stability in the conflict zone. He noted that Artsakh authorities had always assisted the OSCE Mission in monitoring the ceasefire regime on the state border of Artsakh and Azerbaijan and on the Line of Contact between the parties’ armed forces, as well as supported the expansion of the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and its monitoring capacities.
At the same time, the Foreign Minister stressed the necessity of implementing the agreements reached in 2016 in Vienna and St. Petersburg, aimed at maintaining stability on the Line of Contact and creating conditions for advancing the settlement process. In this context, he noted that Artsakh had unilaterally established a video system for permanent monitoring of the Line of Contact, which could be part of the international mechanism for monitoring the ceasefire regime. Masis Mailyan stressed that in order to reach a final settlement of the conflict and ensure progress in the negotiations, it is necessary to return the official Stepanakert to the negotiating table as a full party.
In this context, he noted the importance of the fact that the position of the Republic of Armenia on the Azerbaijani-Karabakh settlement after the change of power became clearer, in particular, on the need to restore the full-fledged trilateral format of negotiations, and this position fully coincides with the approaches of the Artsakh authorities. The Foreign Minister confirmed the willingness of the Artsakh authorities tօ de jure assume their share of responsibility for maintaining peace and stability in the region. The Foreign Minister also noted that the MFA had conducted consistent work on presenting the position of the Republic of Artsakh on various aspects of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict in international organizations. In particular, about ten Memorandums of Artsakh’s Foreign Ministry and other documents were disseminated as official documents in the UN, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and other international structures.
In 2018, the Permanent Representations of Artsakh to foreign countries organized various events dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Karabakh Movement and the Armenian Genocide in Sumgait. The events within the framework of the ‘Days of Artsakh in France’ Festival were continued and were held in all the 12 cities of France, which had established friendly relations with the cities of Artsakh. One of the important directions of foreign policy is strengthening ties with the Armenian diaspora. Work has been done to strengthen multilateral ties with various communities and unions of the Diaspora. Armenian communities assisted in the implementation of development programs in Artsakh.
In conclusion, Masis Mailyan stressed that in 2019, the Artsakh Foreign Ministry will continue its consistent work on international recognition of the Republic of Artsakh, expanding and developing international cooperation, including deepening foreign economic ties, strengthening and expanding relations with the Diaspora, providing the international community with credible information on Artsakh related issues and strengthening the country’s positive image, as well as on the peaceful settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict and restoration of the full-fledged trilateral format of negotiations.
