Monday, January 14 2019 20:10

ArmInfo.Artsakh Republic Ministry of Foreign Affairs continued to carry out its activities in accordance with the priority directions of the country's foreign  policy, defined in the program of the President of the Artsakh  Republic Bako Sahakyan for 2017-2020.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh Masis Mailyan said this at a press conference on January 14.Presenting the results achieved in the process of international  recognition of Artsakh, the development and strengthening of  decentralized cooperation, Masis Mailyan reminded that on May 22,  2018 the city council of the Australian city Raid unanimously adopted  a resolution in support of the independence of the Republic of  Artsakh. 

The geography of decentralized cooperation has also expanded to  include the Middle East region. In general, during 2018, friendly  relations were established between the six cities of Artsakh and  foreign states.At the same time, consistent steps were taken to give  a practical character to the relations established in the framework  of decentralized cooperation. In particular, work was carried out on  the implementation of practical programs in education, agriculture,  tourism, and the creation of infrastructures in various communities  of Artsakh. The visits to the Artsakh delegation led by the measures  of five foreign cities were also organized. At the meetings held  during the visit, prospects for the implementation of joint programs  in various fields were discussed.

Masis Mailyan also presented the activities of the Foreign Ministry  in the direction of developing and deepening the international  relations of the Artsakh Republic. He stressed the importance of  expanding international cooperation and ensuring the involvement of  the republic in international processes in terms of countering the  isolation policy pursued by Azerbaijan against Artsakh. The Foreign  Minister noted that in 2018, with the assistance of the ministry,  foreign visits of Artsakh Republic official delegations were  organized, as well as visits of delegations of various states and  international structures to Artsakh. In this context, the Foreign  Minister stressed the importance of the first political visit to the  USA in March 2018, led by President Bako Sahakyan, from the point of  view of representing the official OSCE and the United States as a  co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Artsakh regarding political  processes and regional issues.Foreign visits were also held at the  level of heads of various ministries and departments of the Artsakh  Republic.

The Foreign Ministry contributed to the development of cooperation  with various countries in the framework of parliamentary diplomacy.  The importance of the visit of the Chairman of the National Assembly  of the Artsakh Republic Ashot Ghulian to France, the visits of the  Artsakh deputies to the USA, to the countries of Europe and the  Middle East was emphasized. Also, visits to the Artsakh parliamentary  delegations from the European Parliament, Cyprus, Belgium, France, as  well as California were organized.Artsakh Foreign Minister also  touched upon the process of settlement of the Azerbaijani- Karabakh  conflict. Masis Mailyan noted the importance of excluding the  prospect of war and ensuring stability in the conflict zone.  According to him, the Artsakh authorities have always assisted the  OSCE mission in monitoring the cease-fire regime on the state border  between Artsakh and Azerbaijan and on the contact line of the armed  forces of the parties, and also supported the expansion of the office  of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and  enhancing his monitoring capabilities.At the same time, the Foreign  Minister emphasized the need to implement agreements on creating  conditions for maintaining stability on the contact line and  advancing the negotiation process reached in Vienna and St.   Petersburg in 2016. In this regard, the Minister noted that the  Artsakh side had unilaterally established a system of permanent video  surveillance of the contact line, which could become an integral part  of the international mechanism of control over the armistice regime.  Masis Mailyan stressed that in order to ensure progress in the  negotiations and achieve a final settlement of the conflict, it is  necessary to return the official Stepanakert to the negotiating table  as a full party. In this context, he noted the importance of the fact  that the position of the Republic of Armenia on the  Azerbaijani-Karabakh settlement after the change of power became  clearer, in particular, on the need to restore the full-fledged  trilateral format of negotiations, and this position fully coincides  with the approaches of the Artsakh authorities. The Foreign Minister  confirmed the de jure willingness of the Artsakh authorities to  assume their share of responsibility for maintaining peace and  stability in the region.The Minister also noted that the NKR MFA  consistently carried out work on presenting the position of the  Artsakh Republic in international organizations regarding various  aspects of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict.