On December 5, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan participated in the OSCE Ministerial Conference in Malta.

At the official opening ceremony of the event, the participants were welcomed by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism of the Republic of Malta, Ian Borge.

Minister Mirzoyan had contacts with colleagues from a number of countries, including Germany, Turkey, Austria, Luxembourg, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Andorra, and Cyprus. Meetings were held with the Foreign Ministers of Austria, Slovenia, and Slovakia.

On the same day, Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan delivered a speech at the 31st meeting of OSCE Ministers.The full speech of the Minister is presented below.

Distinguished Chair, Excellences,

Dear colleagues,

At the outset, I would like to express our appreciation to the Maltese Chairmanship for chairing this Organization through another challenging year for all of us.

During the year Armenia has spared no efforts to ensure that the OSCE remains afloat in the face of existential challenges, particularly by contributing to the Organization’s efforts in enhancing trust and cooperation among participating states and calling for the swift utilization of the early warning and conflict prevention toolbox. Alas, we have all failed in our endeavors - failed collectively and individually.

Whilst Armenia has long been advocating for the full implementation of the OSCE's principles across its entire area of responsibility, alerting on the early warning signs of the use of force and calling for the swift and decisive actions, the OSCE’s mechanisms and conflict prevention toolbox have not only been inactive but also muted, to say the least.

But our criticism should be perceived only in the context of our strong desire to have an effective security Organization with its autonomous institutions that act in strict compliance with their mandates, commitments and principles without a backward glance to any other consideration.

Excellencies,

The challenges that the entire world faces nowadays makes us more vigilant in the issues related to peace and stability. Having this in mind, Armenia continues its constructive engagement in negotiations aiming to fully normalize relations with Azerbaijan.

This year the bilateral negotiations led to the signing of the Regulation for border delimitation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which recognized the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration as a basis for delimitation of the border. On the ground, we succeeded in delimiting more than 12 km of the border, and we hope that this document will pave the way for efficient continuation of the process and thus will largely contribute to stability in the region.

We have also managed to achieve some progress towards signing the Peace Agreement between our two countries. We have agreed upon the Preamble and 15 out of the 17 Articles of the draft Agreement, and if there is enough political will, it can be concluded and signed swiftly. Well, Armenia has continuously proven its readiness to sign the Agreement and close the page of enmity in South Caucasus.

We are confident that peace has no alternative as the people in our region have already suffered a lot from bloody conflicts. Against all odds, we are determined to continue our efforts to reach the desired goal. In this regard, the connectivity project called “Crossroads of Peace” proposed by the Armenian side has the potential to increase trust, build confidence and foster better interaction between the countries of our region.

We believe that full normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkiye, particularly establishment of diplomatic relations and opening of the borders can be another important contribution to peace and stability in the region. To this end, we continue the dialogue with our Turkish counterparts and take some practical steps which include joint assessment of the bridge between Armenia and Turkiye as well as the technical requirements for the border crossing by the Gyumri-Kars railway. Once the agreements are implemented, they will have a positive impact on the people of the region and beyond.

Dear Colleagues,

As we are approaching the important milestone of the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, it is an opportune moment that each and every participating state clearly and unambiguously reaffirms its commitment to the core principles of the OSCE. In this regard Finland’s leadership will be crucial in steering the OSCE toward greater relevance and effectiveness, particularly in strengthening early warning and conflict prevention efforts.

To conclude, we would like to assure our Finnish friends that Armenia stands ready to work closely to advance the important work of this Organization.

I thank you.