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.