On January 5, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ara Aivazian, who is on a working visit in Artsakh, met with the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh Artur Tovmasyan.  The meeting continued with the participation of the newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh Davit Babayan, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh, the heads of the factions and the Chairmen of the standing committees.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and the Representatives of the National Assembly of the Artsakh exchanged views on the issues of regional security and peace, the challenges that the Armenians of Artsakh encounter as a result of the Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression, and the steps being undertaken to address them.  They have also touched upon the resumption of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict peace process within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs - the only internationally recognized mediation format. As the cornerstone of the political settlement of the conflict, the interlocutors mentioned the recognition of the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination and security, the de-occupation of the territories of Artsakh under the Azerbaijani control, the restoration and protection of the rights of the Armenians of Artsakh. 

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Aivazian and the President of the National Assembly of Artsakh Tovmasyan highlighted the importance of parliamentary diplomacy as a platform of crucial significance for expanding and making the cooperation between the two Armenian states more effective. In this context, the sides specifically emphasized the promotion of direct contacts and the continuation of traditional intensive mutual visits.