Armenian FM briefs EU Ambassadors on Crossroads of Peace project

On November 22, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan had a meeting with Ambassadors of the European Union and EU member states accredited to the Republic of Armenia.

During the meeting, views were exchanged on the issues of the comprehensive agenda of Armenia-EU partnership. The interlocutors touched upon the steps being taken to further deepen the political dialogue between Armenia and the EU, as well as the prospects for further development of mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields.

Among other things, the interlocutors touched upon holding of the second high-level Armenia-EU Political and Security Dialogue last week in Brussels, the activities of the EU monitoring mission in Armenia, as well as the EU’s consistent support to the reform agenda of Armenia and strengthening of democratic institutions, in accordance with the joint statement of October 5 by the Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of the European Commission.

In the context of the implementation of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement and the intensification of people to people contacts, Minister Mirzoyan stressed the importance of directing positive dynamics towards the final decision to start the visa liberalization dialogue.

Regional security issues were discussed at the meeting. Ararat Mirzoyan presented Armenia’s vision for the establishment of stability and lasting peace in the region. The Minister emphasized that it is based on the fundamental principles that were also reflected in the statement adopted after the quadrilateral meeting within the framework of the European political Community in Granada in October, and relate to mutual recognition of territorial integrity, border delimitation and unblocking of regional communications.

Ararat Mirzoyan briefed the EU Ambassadors on the project of “Crossroads of Peace” developed by the Government of Armenia which is based on the vision of effective unblocking communications and creation of beneficial interconnections in the region; it can also become a guarantee for peace.

Touching upon the large-scale military attack of Azerbaijan against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh in September and the resulting complete ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh, Minister Mirzoyan stressed in particular the imperative to address the needs and rights of the forcibly displaced Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, and the steps taken in that direction.