Ararat Mirzoyan: Security situation in South Caucasus remains  unstable

ArmInfo. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan delivered a speech at the  High-Level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament.

As the press service of the Armenian Foreign Office reports, the  statement by FM Mirzoyan noted: 

"Honorable President of the Conference, Honorable Secretary-General  of the Conference, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and  Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to address the Conference on Disarmament in our  capacity as an observer state. We believe that the Conference on  Disarmament serves as a crucial platform for dialogue and  collaboration among nations, aiming to build trust and understanding  in pursuit of common goals. Armenia, as an observer state, is eager  to actively engage in the deliberations, discussions, and initiatives  aimed at advancing disarmament efforts on a global scale.  We  reaffirm our strong commitment to the universal implementation of the  international obligations in the areas of arms control and  non-proliferation and reiterate our steadfast support to the  institutions that underpin it.  Armenia reiterates its firm support  for the full, complete, and effective implementation of the Treaty on  the Non- Proliferation (NPT). As a strong supporter of the  non-proliferation policies, we reiterate our full compliance with the  International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards agreements and  additional protocol.  Furthermore, we consider the Comprehensive  test-ban treaty (CTBT) to be an indispensable pillar and tool for the  global nuclear non-proliferation regime and disarmament.

New international regulatory instruments or mechanisms for addressing  21st-century threats and challenges are crucial for preventing  potential conflicts and saving lives in line with the International  Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law. In this regard,  it is our strong conviction that our joint efforts should be directed  not just at protecting and advancing what we have already achieved  but at matching the rapid technological progress, especially in  artificial intelligence, lethal autonomous weapons systems or drone  technologies.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Armenia is well familiar with the devastating impact of conflict,  having experienced the tragic consequences of wars in our recent  history. This painful past motivates us to persistently advocate for  peaceful resolution of conflicts, prevention of the use or threat of  force, uncontrolled and mass acquisition of weaponry and disarmament.   The erosion of the arms control regimes does not happen in a vacuum.  It is usually a consequence of years-long noncompliance to the main  treaties and documents, as well as the negligence of such crucial  principles of the UN Charter as the non-use of force or threat of use  of force and the maintenance of international peace and security and  good-neighborly relations. The international failures of identifying  early warning signs of such violations usually evolve into bloody  conflicts and hostilities.

It is in such an environment that Azerbaijan launched a violent war  against Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020, infiltrated into Armenia's  sovereign territory and on 19 September last year conducted an ethnic  cleansing of over 108.000 indigenous Armenian population from its  ancestral homeland.

Overall, the security environment in the South Caucasus remains  volatile as Azerbaijan hasn't denounced its aggressive policy against  the Republic of Armenia. It continues to present new territorial  claims against the Republic of Armenia along with backtracking from  previously agreed principles of the establishment of peace and  security in our region.  Particularly the principle of respecting  each other's territorial integrity based on the Almaty Declaration of  1991 and conduct of the delimitation process aiming to recover the  borderline of 1991 have been consistently rejected by Azerbaijan.

Nevertheless, the Government of Armenia continues its genuine efforts  to build peace and stability in our region as well as confidence and  trust between Armenia and Azerbaijan. To that end we have proposed  simultaneous withdrawal of troops from the Armenia-Azerbaijan  interstate border, with further demilitarization of the bordering  areas. Armenia also proposes to sign a bilateral arms control  mechanism and non-aggression pact ahead of the peace treaty in case  the signing of the latter requires additional time to reach a  consensus. Despite the fact that all these proposals have so far been  ignored or rejected by Azerbaijan, we are determined to continue our  efforts.

Dear Colleagues,

The arms control and non-proliferation architecture were established  with the objective of ensuring safer and more secure life for all. It  cannot be accomplished without joint efforts, compromise and  political will.  We firmly believe that dialogue and cooperation  based on mutual respect are the cornerstones of effective disarmament  efforts. Armenia stands ready to work collaboratively with member  states, sharing experiences, expertise, and resources to address the  complex challenges that are ahead of us. Through open communication  and a commitment to finding common ground, we can pave a way for a  more secure and safe world.  I thank you."