On January 12, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, acting Foreign Minister of Armenia, met with Masis Mayilian, Foreign Minister of Artsakh.

The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Artsakh highlighted the importance of holding regular political consultations between the two agencies and commended the established effective cooperation in different fields.

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Masis Mayilian exchanged views on the process of exclusively peaceful settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict under auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

Acting Foreign Minister Mnatsakanyan reiterated the principles of the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh issue enshrined in the program of the Government of Armenia back in May 2018. He particularly stressed that the status and security of Artsakh are priorities for Armenia and once again highlighted the importance of decisive voice and engagement of Artsakh in the peace process. Zohrab Mnatsakanyan underlined that those involved in the settlement process with Armenia are well aware of this position. Moreover, the meetings held during the recent months in this framework have recorded positive dynamics.

The acting Foreign Minister of Armenia emphasized that the genuine commitment of all the parties to the conflict to reach peace is needed for the settlement of the issue. The sides stressed the importance of steps aimed at excluding tension, using mechanism for risk reduction and its continuous development, which are an integral part of establishing environment conducive to peace. The Ministers outlined that abandoning bellicose rhetoric can best define the commitment to peaceful settlement.

The parties once again underlined that peace is a priority, but it shouldn’t be confused with the lack of determination.

The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Artsakh touched upon the upcoming events included in the agenda of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and attached importance to the established practice of exchanging views ahead of those events.

During the meeting, the sectoral cooperation between Armenia and Artsakh as well as issues related to bilateral agenda were also discussed.