Ararat Mirzoyan met with Helga Schmid and Pia Kauma

ArmInfo.Today, within the framework of the OSCE Ministerial Forum in Skopje, RA Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan met with OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid.

According to the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the meeting  issues of cooperation between the RA and the OSCE were discussed.  Noting that the OSCE remains the largest regional security  organization, the Armenian minister emphasized that the organization  must be able to fulfill its mandate and ensure equal use of rapid  response mechanisms within the organization's territory.

Regarding security issues in the South Caucasus, Ararat Mirzoyan  emphasized that having violated the fundamental principles of the  OSCE Helsinki Final Act, Azerbaijan not only subjected  Nagorno-Karabakh to complete ethnic cleansing, but also continues to  undermine the efforts of international mediators aimed at  establishing stability in the region. The minister added that such  violations, occurring in a climate of impunity, encourage the use or  threat of force, and the international community must redouble its  efforts to overcome existing challenges.

Ararat Mirzoyan stressed that Armenia is committed to normalizing  relations with Azerbaijan on the basis of world-renowned principles,  however, in order to achieve positive progress, it is important to  equally sincerely involve all countries in the region in the  implementation of the peace agenda.

On the same day, FM Mirzoyan met with  Pia Kauma, President of the  OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

"Interlocutors touched upon issues on OSCE activities, given the  successful discussions of the OSCE PA autumn session, held in Yerevan  last week.  In the context of gross violations of the OSCE  fundamental principles and the practice of use of force within the  OSCE area, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia noted that the  international community is facing the reality where the entire  Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh was forcibly displaced from  their homeland after more than 9-months-long inhumane siege and  large-scale attack by Azerbaijan on September 19.

In the context of steps aimed at ensuring stability in the South  Caucasus, Ararat Mirzoyan briefed Pia Kauma on the latest  developments in the process of normalization of relations with  Azerbaijan and the main principles, in line with which Armenia sent  its proposals on the draft treaty on normalization. Minister Mirzoyan  noted that it is known that Azerbaijan refused to participate in  recent high-level meetings, discussions during which could have  allowed to achieve progress.

Emphasizing Armenia's interest in unblocking regional communications,  Minister Mirozyan presented the details of the "Crossroads of Peace"  project, stressing that all interested parties should realize the  importance of using the existing opportunities, the press sevice of  the RA MFA reports.