On November 24, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, Artak Apitonian, participated in the 37th online session of the Council of Ministers of the Francophonie, where he delivered a speech.

In his speech, he referred to the challenges created as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the fields of healthcare, economy, society, and education. During  the Francophonie ministerial meeting the Deputy Minister presented the resolution proposed by Armenia, as the chair of the Francophonie Summit, entitled "Living together in the Covid-19 pandemic, in the post-Covid world."

Deputy Minister Apitonian also referred to the Turkish-backed military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh on September 27th, which was perpetrated in defiance of the U.N. Secretary-General's call for peace and security in the world during the pandemic. He also spoke about the large number of victims, the thousands of refugees, the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Artsakh and the threats to the Armenian cultural heritage, as well as the violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes committed by Azerbaijan. The Deputy Minister mentioned that the trilateral declaration, signed on November 9, calls first and foremost for the cessation of hostilities and the implementation of security measures. The issue of the status of Artsakh will be discussed during the negotiations that will be continued within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, respecting the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination.

The issues of the fight against terrorism were also touched upon, particularly in light of the involvement of Syrian terrorist mercenaries by Turkey against Artsakh.