ArmInfo. Armenia consistently acted for the strengthening of indivisible security in the OSCE region and permanently contributed to discussions on arms control and the restoration of mechanisms of trust and security.
As the press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry reports, Edward Nalbandian stated this during his speech at the 24th meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Vienna.
He stressed that the steps to build trust are not confined to the first dimension. The Armenian Minister expressed deep conviction that the economic and environmental directions of the organization have an untapped resource. Nalbandian believes that in this context, the OSCE can become a natural platform for the member countries of the Organization in terms of stimulating a universal dialogue, including on regional integration processes.
"About two weeks ago, Armenia signed an agreement with the European Union on a comprehensive and expanded partnership, which was a clear indication that membership in one integration project, and in the case of Armenia - the Eurasian Economic Union, does not exclude cooperation with other structures, we hope that a purposeful and realistic dialogue will become the driving force for economic cooperation throughout the OSCE space," the Armenian FM stated.
Nalbandian noted Armenia's contribution to the processes carried out in the sphere of human rights protection, emphasizing the effective interaction with OSCE structures in this direction. According to the Armenian Minister, the elections held in Armenia in April 2017 demonstrated that the progress achieved in the sphere of fundamental human rights is stable and irreversible. In this context, he highly appreciated the contribution of OSCE structures to this process.
"We are glad that the OSCE pays more attention to the issue of the protection of national and religious minorities from violence, especially against the backdrop of the processes in the Middle East. Armenia was one of the first to voice this problem and helped strengthen OSCE commitments in this direction. Crimes against Christians and other religious minorities , on the basis of hatred and the development of effective measures to combat discrimination were the focus of a recent forum in Yerevan organized by the OSCE Chairmanship in conjunction with the ODIHR and under the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia", concluded Nalbandian.